I've grown a couple of kinds. When I first started gardening I grew some of the tall ones from seed, but they mildewed badly and I don't like fussing with diseased plants, so I ripped them out after two years. I have had good luck with the little almost-wild type ones like 'Blue Butterflies'.

There was a poster for a while on the Perennials forum who had strong opinions about what grew well for him, and had tried a large number of varieties. He recommended Delphinium x belladona and D. 'Piccolo'. I've been looking for both those ever since because his photos were stunning. My memory is that he was from Denmark.

I'll be following this thread since I love the colors, and would appreciate more recommendations.

Belladona I've grown from seed, and I should grow it again. It isn't the longest lived plant, but five years isn't short enough to avoid it.

Delphiniums *like* winter cold, and summer chill. Almost zone 7 is probably too hot for them. They also like a fair amount of lime, but that is fixable.

With forks and hope I plant a sixpack of blue delphs every spring, they bloom; then over the winter they disappear ;and never return. I don't know what I'm doing wrong, but I also have that edge-of-zone-7 climate on the RI coast. They also fall over in the strong wind here and I don't want to have stakes in the garden.

BTW the 3 blue Monkshood plants (aconitum) I put in have thrived. But I'm going to dig them up because I'm worried that a strolling child might pick them. Very poisonous!

Carol

Carol do you still have your Monkshoods? Do you wanna get rid of them, id willingly take it :)