To keep it simple, annuals should be called larkspurs, and perennials, delphiniums. The tall perennials may flower the first summer, but they will be so much more spectacular in the following years. Larkspurs should be sown directly outdoors as soon the soil is workable, they will germinate in a few weeks and normally start flowering in July. In sheltered sites the seeds can be sown in the autumn and protected lightly from the worst winter cold. The wild forms and the taller varieties may need staking.
Larkspurs are excellent cut flowers both fresh and dried.
For drying, the double flowered forms are preferred. The best-selling color is the traditional deep blue. Seeds available from most seed companies.