Enhance Your Hanging Baskets with Lobelia erinus ‘Crystal Palace’
Lobelia erinus ‘Crystal Palace’ is a compact, bushy annual renowned for its vibrant deep blue flowers and contrasting bronze-green foliage. Ideal for hanging baskets, window boxes, and containers, this variety adds a rich splash of colour to your outdoor spaces. Its profuse blooming habit ensures a stunning display from early summer through to autumn.
Growing Conditions
This lobelia thrives in full sun to partial shade and prefers moist, well-drained soil. While it can tolerate cooler temperatures, it is sensitive to frost. In the UK, it’s best to plant out after the last frost has passed, typically in late May.
Planting Guide
- Sowing Indoors: Start seeds indoors 8–10 weeks before the last expected frost. Sow seeds on the surface of moist compost without covering them, as they require light for germination. Maintain a temperature of 18–24°C (65–75°F). Germination typically occurs within 10–21 days.
- Transplanting: Once seedlings are large enough to handle, transplant them into individual pots. Harden off the plants by gradually acclimating them to outdoor conditions over 7–10 days before planting out.
- Planting Out: After the risk of frost has passed, plant lobelia in hanging baskets or containers filled with a rich, moisture-retentive compost. Space plants approximately 10–15 cm (4–6 inches) apart to allow for adequate growth.
Care & Maintenance
- Watering: Keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged. Hanging baskets may require daily watering during hot, dry periods.
- Feeding: Apply a balanced, water-soluble fertiliser every two weeks to promote vigorous growth and abundant flowering.
- Deadheading: While lobelia is self-cleaning and doesn’t require deadheading, trimming back any straggly stems can encourage a tidier appearance and potentially extend the blooming period.
Flowering & Cut Flower Tips
Lobelia erinus ‘Crystal Palace’ blooms from early summer through to autumn. While primarily used for its ornamental value in containers and baskets, its delicate flowers can also be used as fillers in small floral arrangements. Harvest in the morning when flowers are fully open for the best vase life.
Garden Impact
This lobelia variety attracts pollinators such as bees and butterflies, enhancing the biodiversity of your garden. Its intense blue flowers provide a striking contrast when paired with other summer blooms like petunias, geraniums, or marigolds, creating vibrant and dynamic displays.
Additional Notes
At the end of the season, remove spent plants and compost them. In milder regions, lobelia may self-seed, leading to volunteer plants the following year.
