It's why I stopped growing them - a very long time ago. There are easier plants to do the same sort of job. The problem with cloches is - slugs live underground, so a cloche won't stop them getting in. It's pointless. It would only work if you had them in a pot, with new soil, and you had them in a site where no slugs could get in, like the big tray of water and a support in the middle for the pot. That's a lot of bother to go to.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I found a new Magic Fountain at our garden centre in Bampton. It's now in a bigger pot and I will plant it outside at the end of May as I did in 2016. I will then do it exactly the way how it worked for 6 years until I followed Monty's advise to cut it back in June in 2021 for a second flush. That definitely weakened the plant. Also, I had taken out a lot of plants in November last year and I think that the slugs had nothing else to eat. This changes this winter again as all other plants remain over winter. Let's hope this new Magic Fountain is as good as the old one.
@bédé You said on page 4: I believe that the "Magic Fountain" series is a seed strain, probably derived from the "Paciific Giants" series. Suttons sell the seeds and possibly plants as well. At the garden centre, they had different types of Delphinums and one was Pacific, which get up to 2 meters high so the label. The Magic Fountain is in between with around a meter. It's not a Pacific, but also not a Fountain (which I also bought, and which is up to 60 cm high). Thanks to your tip, I knew what you were talking about
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The problem with cloches is - slugs live underground, so a cloche won't stop them getting in. It's pointless. It would only work if you had them in a pot, with new soil, and you had them in a site where no slugs could get in, like the big tray of water and a support in the middle for the pot. That's a lot of bother to go to.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Also, I had taken out a lot of plants in November last year and I think that the slugs had nothing else to eat. This changes this winter again as all other plants remain over winter. Let's hope this new Magic Fountain is as good as the old one.
@bédé You said on page 4: I believe that the "Magic Fountain" series is a seed strain, probably derived from the "Paciific Giants" series. Suttons sell the seeds and possibly plants as well.
At the garden centre, they had different types of Delphinums and one was Pacific, which get up to 2 meters high so the label. The Magic Fountain is in between with around a meter. It's not a Pacific, but also not a Fountain (which I also bought, and which is up to 60 cm high). Thanks to your tip, I knew what you were talking about
I ♥ my garden.