For 2010 a number of new delphinium varieties will be available. These are perfect for cutting gardens.

The New Millennium series of delphiniums is an excellent choice for cutting gardens. These perennials have exquisite semi-double and fully double blooms. They feature vivid contrasting bees.

The flowers are especially large when compared with those of other delphiniums. These begin blooming the very first year when grown from seeds. These are reliable, winter hardy perennials.

The tall, thick stems reach five feet in height. And make a great cut flower. The blossoms open throughout the late spring and summer. The seeds of 15 separate New Millennium flower colors are available. In addition, there is a formula mix as well. One can choose from a range of colors for the cutting garden.

Green Twist is one of my favorites. It has an intriguing greenish-white bee and green-tinged petals. Double Innocence is a lovely pastel with pure white double blooms. Royal Inspirations is a lovely deep blue decorated with a white bee. Pagan Purple is also among my favorites, and has deep purplish-blue blossoms.

Dusky Maidens is a pink flowering variety with a deep pink bee. It received a Perennial Plant Award from the International Hardy Plant Union in the Netherlands.

Sweetheart delphinium is a rich pink with a contrasting white bee. This variety was given an Award of Garden Merit by the Royal Horticultural Society. The New Millennium delphinium plants will be available as seeds and as plants from the usual sources.

There is also a new color in the Delphinium hybrid Aurora series—a lovely white. This series offers early flowers that open about a month before most open-pollinated varieties. These flower spikes are covered with beautiful large blossoms. The new white has a contrasting bee. The other colors in the Aurora series include light purple, light blue, lavender, blue, and deep purple. All of these have colorful bees in the center.

From Thompson and Morgan comes a wonderful new delphinium called Centurion Lilac Blue Bicolor. This hardy perennial is recommended for zones four through seven. It is ideal for cut flowers. The blossoms are a lovely lilac and pale blue with a prominent white bee. These appear to be semi-double since the petals are triple layered. The tall, sturdy stems are five feet in height. When the seeds are planted early in the year, this hybrid will bloom the very first year. In subsequent years, the flowers will appear from late spring through mid-summer.

Park Seed has added the Delphinium Centurion Mix to its flower selections. This has flowers in a range of shades. These include white, pink, lavender, blue, and red.

Delphinium Dasante Blue is a delightful new hybrid. It brings a wonderful shade of blue with a white bee and purple highlights. Though this is a perennial, it will bloom the first year the seeds are planted. This is hardy to zone five. The stems are nearly three feet in height.