Foxgloves

emma · Rank attained: Hazel Tree Joined: 31 Oct 2009 Posts: 21

Hi - can someone please tell me, are foxgloves bulbs? I would like to have the blooming next spring / summer & am unsure if they are bulbs, if so, if I planted them now, would they flower next year. Or would I better off just waiting until next summer and buying these from the garden center when they are already in flower (or is that cheating?) I would prefer to plant as bulbs? Any helpful hints? Many thanks

Sive · Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 11:14 pm Post subject:

No, foxgloves are not bulbs, but are actually biennials.
This means that if you sow the seed in the spring of 2010, you will grow young plants and plant them out into beds and they will flower in 2011.
This may be disappointing for you, but the magic of foxgloves is.....you only need to do this once, as they will seed themselves into your garden and magically reappear year after year....so long as you learn to recognize the baby plants and don't pull them up, thinking they are weeds !
If you are very anxious to have foxgloves blooming in 2010, you could buy ones in flower from a nursery. But they are terribly easy to grow from seed.

emma · Rank attained: Hazel Tree Joined: 31 Oct 2009 Posts: 21

Hi Sive,

Thanks a million for your reply. I have one in the garden, bought if from the garden center last year. It flowered last summer and again this summer - so I thought it was a bulb as I bought it when it was already flowering. I did not realize that then seed themselves. And I have been pulling up what I thought were weeds around the plant - d'oh!! Anyway, thanks for the words of wisdom. Much appreciated!! Emma

Sive · Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 7:46 pm Post subject:

There is also, I believe, a perennial foxglove, but I have no experience of it. The foxglove we are all familiar with, seeing it growing wild....it is a biennial.
You may well have bought a perennial from a garden centre....do you think so ?

emma · Rank attained: Hazel Tree Joined: 31 Oct 2009 Posts: 21

I am not really sure, but I did buy is when it was flowering & it has come back twice so far. I bought it before i was really interested in the garden - its only really since the summer I have developed a real interest in it. Will pay more attention next time!

Her Outdoors · Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 8:12 pm Post subject:

Hi Emma, welcome to the forum, great to hear your enthusism in all your posts.

I love foxgloves, particularly the white one. I sowed a packet of seed in April and I think all of them came up! I have them planted at the back of borders and everywhere I can fit them. I have given quite a lot to people and stll have a tray left.

If you send me a PM, I can post a couple to you. They should flower in 2010.

emma · Rank attained: Hazel Tree Joined: 31 Oct 2009 Posts: 21

Hi there, yeah, am very enthusiastic about gardening, even though I am not very good - but have plenty of time to learn. I really had no idea how easy they were to grow - I will have to get myself a pack of seeds and plant them. Do you recommend I plant then now, or would you leave it to early spring.

Thanks so much for your generous offer of posting them to me, very much appreciated!!!

Her Outdoors · Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 10:43 pm Post subject:

I planted mine in April, the leaflet said late Spring. I started them in a cool greenhouse, then transplanted them out in Summer. I bought the seeds from seedaholics.com. Very good delivery service and good information with each pack. The one I planted is Digitalis purpurea "Alba".

Well worth a look at the website.