Consolida ajacis 'Fancy Purple Picotee' is a stunning Hardy Annual (H3). While it shares the regal stature of a Delphinium, it completes its life cycle in a single UK summer, reaching its full 1.2-metre height with remarkable speed.

Cool-Season Specialist: Larkspur is genetically adapted to the cooler dampness of a British spring. It focuses on building a deep, strong root system while the soil is cold, which eventually supports the massive, bloom-heavy spires that appear as the temperatures rise in June.

The Picotee Pattern: In horticulture, "Picotee" refers to a flower whose edge is a different colour than the base. In this variety, the contrast between the snow-white petals and the sharp violet-purple margin is particularly crisp, making it one of the most photographed varieties in the cottage garden.

Larkspur seeds can sometimes enter a state of deep dormancy if they get too warm. To guarantee a high germination rate, place your sealed seed packet in the freezer for 7 days before sowing. This "cold shock" mimics a sharp frost and signals to the seed that winter is over and it is time to germinate.

How to Sow:
Sow directly outdoors in September (for the tallest, earliest flowers) or March/April. Scatter seeds onto finely raked soil and cover lightly; Larkspur seeds require darkness to germinate. They have a sensitive taproot and hate root disturbance, so direct sowing into their final position is always recommended.

Where to Plant:
They demand full sun and fertile, well-drained soil. Because they grow so rapidly to 1.2 metres, they are "hungry" plants; digging in some well-rotted garden compost before sowing will result in much thicker, more structural columns of colour.

Ongoing Care:
The tall, ruffled spires can be heavy and may catch the wind; we recommend early staking with birch twigs or garden twine. To extend your harvest for the vase, cut the main central stem first, which will encourage the plant to produce several smaller side-spires of flowers.

The vertical "hand-painted" spires of this Picotee larkspur need soft, round partners to balance their rigid lines. Pair them with these available stars:

• ❄️ Ammi Majus (Queen Anne’s Lace): The Perfect Partner. The flat, white lacy heads of Ammi provide a spectacular horizontal contrast to the tall, vertical Larkspur. The pure white of the Ammi perfectly highlights the crisp white centres of the Picotee flowers.
• ☁️ Cosmos 'Purity' : Soft & Flowing. The large, simple white saucers of 'Purity' soften the rigid architectural stems of the Larkspur. Plant the Larkspur at the back and the Cosmos towards the front for a tiered, romantic cottage garden look.

Sow in autumn for spectacular early summer spires, or early spring for mid-summer colour.