When it comes to wanting a garden that will stop visitors in their tracks with its beauty, it can be difficult to know what plants to choose. Luckily, gardening expert Alan Titchmarsh has shared his number one showstopping flower, and it’s one that will truly raise any garden up to the next level.
In a video shared to his YouTube channel, Alan highlights the beauty of the delphinium flower, particularly the variety known as the Highlander Bolero. Sharing his love for this flower, he calls it “spectacular,” adding that it grows to up to seven or eight feet tall. Alan is certainly in good company with his choice, with King Charles also labelling these as his favourite flower.
While these flowers are certainly showstoppers, Alan admits that they can require quite a bit of care, needing regular feedings. He says: “They are greedy.
“When they’ve got that much growth to put on, they’re going to need a lot of sustenance below ground or in the ground, so loads of muck, well-rotted garden compost. Make the soil as rich as you possibly can.”
However, there’s still an extra problem when it comes to delphiniums, as they are particularly attractive to slugs and snails, with these pests considering them to be “five-star hotels.”
To avoid damage to your delphiniums, Alan advises being on top of slug control, starting as soon as the shoots emerge from the ground in March or April.
If cared for properly, the delphinium will produce “glorious” spires of flowers that look almost like cake decorations. Sadly, their blooming period is only a few short weeks, but you’ll certainly want to have plenty of garden parties during those days.
For placing in the garden, delphiniums are a “back of the border” plant, as you’ll want fellow showstoppers in front so they can take over the space after the delphiniums have stopped blooming.
Alongside delphiniums, Alan has shared a number of other showstopping plants.
Alan Titchmarsh’s top ‘showstopping’ plants
- Lupinus (Cashmere Cream)
- Foxglove (Illumination Flame)
- Pentsemon (Laura)
- Dhalia (Muchacha)
- Liatris (Kansas Gayfeather)
- Salvia (Purple and Bloom)
- Hydrangea (Annabelle)
- Agapanthus (Catarina)
- Lily (Anastasia)