Gardens will have a beautiful flower display in June and July if one plant is added now. Foxgloves are at their peak this month, with tall stems and an abundance of flowers.
Benefits of Planting Foxgloves
A British gardener shares the benefits of planting foxgloves. The bees make regular journeys to foxgloves, often buzzing around each other to get more pollen for themselves. They are biennial, meaning they germinate and grow green foliage in year one and then flower on a tall stem in year two. The flowers gradually drop off to leave seed pods; these seed pods produce masses of seed, which drop to the ground in late summertime. The cycle of foxgloves is continuous if the seeds are sown and grown each year.
Where to Grow Foxgloves
Foxgloves are often seen in woody areas and in shady spots, able to grow and flower in dappled shade under a tree canopy. Foxgloves can be purchased in pots ready to transplant into beds, borders, and pots.
An established and bought foxglove should flower this year, as it is in year two of its growing and flowering cycle. In a pot and displayed on a patio, they look remarkable from June into July. A sprinkle of nutritious Q4 pellets by Vitax when planting will give them a healthy boost.
Self-Seeding for Continuous Blooms
A handful of foxglove seeds sown and grown in beds and borders is an enjoyable sight each early summertime. The seeds will drop and settle on the ground later in summertime and hopefully start the cycle of foxgloves growing and flowering each year. The bees will visit them from first thing in the morning right up to late evening every day while they are in flower. When planting, wear gloves to protect skin from contact with foliage.
Colour Variations
Pink and purple flowers are quite common colours for foxgloves, with yellow and white being rarer to see in the wild. One of each colour in the garden allowed to drop seeds and establish itself would create an unimaginably beautiful flower display.
Foxgloves are hardy plants that thrive in places we may consider difficult, spreading to where the seeds drop and settle. Their continuous cycle ensures beauty year after year.
