Lynn Coulter

Spring has arrived--at least for today. I stepped outdoors this morning to temperatures in the 60s and now I can hardly wait to start digging around in the yard. In fact, I did scratch up a few leaves, and here's what I found:

These are larkspur seedlings. A few years ago, I bought a package of larkspur seeds from a mountain fair in North Georgia, and I literally flung them out into the yard. They landed under the drip line of a tall hickory tree, where the soil is poor. But I didn't' worry about it, since I know that larkspurs don't like rich soil anyway. And they've bloomed nicely every year, until the seedpods dry and the seeds scatter themselves when the flowers are finished.

One thing I need to do this year, though, is to gather some of the seeds before they self-sow, and plant them in a sunnier spot. Although larkspurs are forgiving about soil, mine have become a little spindly over the years, as the tree has grown and produced more shade.

If you've never tried larkspurs, give 'Bunny Bloom' a look. This heirloom plant comes in rose, blue, or purple, and was named a Texas Superstar Selection, which means it grows well even in harsh conditions. I love it because when you view the flowerheads just right, they look like little bunny faces--perfect for Easter! They're better sown in fall, since the seeds wont' germinate above 75 degrees F, so if you want to grow larkspurs, you should get going soon! I'll post some pictures of mine as they grow.

Lynn
www.LynnCoulter.com