I had purchased them at the Home Depot, planted them, and then sat back and happily watched the spikes bloom in gorgeous shades of purple and blue against my red house.

When September came, dragging increasingly chilly nights along with it, the delphiniums died back.

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And then… I just left them there. Tall, scraggly, and brown, without any mulch to speak of.

Unless you count snow.

Yet they came back the following spring. I had to cut the dead stalks down to allow the new green growth to grow uninhibited.

The next winter, I made sure to cut the stalks down before the snow fell. I also made a few more preparations to make sure my beautiful plants could easily grow new shoots the following spring.

If you’re wondering how to get your delphiniums ready for winter, this guide will show you everything you need to know.

Here’s what I’ll cover:

Delphiniums vs. Larkspur

Before you prepare your plants for winter, it’s a good idea to make sure you know what’s in your garden.

Delphiniums are often confused with their close relatives, larkspur. And for good reason: the two look nearly identical.

But true larkspur is an annual that’s not going to survive over the winter no matter what you do, whereas delphiniums are short-lived perennials that can be overwintered.

Larkspur does reseed easily, however, so don’t lose hope if you are growing larkspur!

Some of the most common perennial delphinium species include Delphinium elatum, D. grandiflorum, and D. chelianthum.

In addition to the difference

flowers plants soil Winter Laura Ojeda Melchor Alaska