Friday Blues

You know those packets of free seeds you get sent sometimes by charities hoping you’ll reciprocate with a donation? Or from a breakfast cereal giveaway promoting itself as ‘green’ and wanting to spread ‘native’ wildflower seeds all around the country? The problem with the giveaways, of course, is that a plant may be native to one region but certainly not the entire country. The other problem is that many of these seed packets aren’t fully labelled (if labelled at all), using a common name instead of a proper botanical name, making it difficult to know what exactly a gardener is sowing. When one is adventurous; however, and prepared to quickly cull unwanted seedlings, some fabulous surprises may emerge.

Such is the case with these larkspur, possibly Delphinium exaltatum, that self seed in my garden every year after I scattered seeds from a cereal giveaway five or six years ago. This lovely tall, delicate looking plant is hardy here but not native to Ontario, its range starting a few hundred kilometres south, in Pennsylvania and Ohio. I’m quite happy to host it though, especially since it’s one of the few splashes of non-autumnal colour in my late October garden.