Delphiniums and foxgloves - keeping them upright

Does anyone know how to keep delphiniums adn foxgloves upright? Is there any magic technique apart from staking them?

Mine tend to droop with the weight of flowers - but when I look at gardening books or at the Chelsea Flower show they were all upright...do they tend to develop a stronger base with age?

Thanks

 

hi Deli,maybe try painting the canes as PeterS says in GGD Any gardening tips.

 

I bought round hoops with 3 sticks that you push into the ground, sorry for the untechnical description. I put them in just as the delphiniums and lupins were about 10 inches high, it took less than 2 weeks and you couldnt see the hoop anymore and so far i have 6 foot delphiniums and not one of them has drooped. I only paid less than 2 pounds each from local supermarket and i have now used them for 2 years and hopefully envisage using for many more.

 

sorry, should just say that doesnt help you for this year but if you see any being sold off cheap at the end of the season it would be worth investing

 

Delphs are the ones that usually flop - especially after rain. Foxgloves can usually take their own weight - so yours may be a bit shallow rooted. I use canes for my delphs, but one way I saw at Waterperrie for unobtrusive support, was the use of peasticks (or other twiggy material), which the clumps of delphs grow through. Most effective - they use it for asters and lots of other tall flowing herbacious.

 

Speaking of drooping, I had terrible trouble with peonies this year - they were almost touching the ground. It was my great uncle's garden before it was mine, and they have been in there since I was a kid, so it can't be that they're shallow rooted - was it just too much rain at the time (yes, there was a time when we had too much rain this year!) or should I get some hoops for next year?

 

Deli, are you sure they have enough water. I have a number of things droopy in my garden. Last night it was Eupatorium, which does not need staking. I am sure it is because my garden is so dry. A couple of days ago, I soaked it for 6 hours (on a meter!) and it is still dry. But all my plants in pots, which I water every day look very happy.

 

Great - thanks for all your advice......I will try out your tips and report back!
they are such beautiful flowers............