kniphofias and larkspurs

I can't take any credit for any good qualities of composition seen in the image above. That it happened is pure serendipity. That larkspur, over four feet tall, well branched and full of bloom, is a volunteer, self-sown from plants growing nearby last year. I did plant the Kniphofia, but as it turned out it is not the variety it was supposed to be. In the image the color is a bit off: in life it's more of a rosy coral, a hard color to describe. It's such an attractive form that I'm willing to overlook the slip-up on the part of the supplier - although it's a lot harder to get over not having a good name for it.

If you have been disappointed by the performance of annual larkspurs in your garden, make a note to sow the seed in late summer or early fall. That way you are almost sure to get stunning four and five foot tall plants the following spring (and note that spring still has a week and a half to go). Self-sown plants are typically bigger and lustier than those carefully cossetted.