Delphinium Dad

I promised a chapter from Pastoral Gardens this week as I’m going away, but I just had to tell you about my delphinium day instead, while it’s fresh in my mind, so the London garden chapter will be with you at some point soon.

June 22nd

I’m travelling up north today to meet 70 year old Colin Parton who has been growing delphiniums all his life, and now has a National Collection on a small plot behind his house in a suburb of Leeds. His children and grandchildren call him Delphinium Dad and he is the most delightful man who spends all his waking hours growing, tending, taking cuttings, saving seed and improving soil in order to keep his collection of 180 Delphinium elatum cultivars going.