Foxgloves are excellent cut flowers that last a long time in a vase

His Harvard classmate wrote the lyrics, and according to his widow, Jackie Kennedy, President Kennedy was particularly fond of the music from the blockbuster hit Broadway musical, “Camelot.” After JFK’s death, Camelot became a shorthand reference for all things Kennedy.

You won't need a round table to enjoy a modern fairy tale, the Camelot Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea 'Camelot') which, as if touched by Merlin's magic, will reliably bloom the very first year planted, and then go on to an intense second-year blooming.

The tube-shaped, light-pink flowers have white-rimmed dark throat speckling and are held on three- to four-foot-tall stems. Camelot foxgloves bloom from spring through summer. As biennials, these foxgloves live only two years.

Camelot foxgloves are actually easy to grow from seed. For best impact, group your foxgloves in clusters of five or more to create a stunning garden design that flowers all season long. They do well in cottage gardens or semi-wild woodland areas. They grow best in well-drained soil rich in compost and other organic matter. They seem to adjust well to many types of soil as long as it drains well. Choose a planting bed in partial shade and set the plants about two feet apart. A packet is 25 pelleted seeds.

To get the most plants and for best results, sow the tiny seeds indoors. Do not cover the seeds, but simply press them into the dirt. The seeds need direct light for germination Place the seed trays where they will have a temperature of 68-70° F while germinating. They should sprout in 15-20 days.

If you want to sow directly into the garden, you can plant seeds as soon as you can dig the soil. Plant the seeds anytime right up until two months before your first fall frost. Late-planted seeds will grow but not bloom until the next year. Water the plants once a week if there is no rain. 

A light mulch will keep roots cool and help retain soil moisture. Cut off any dead flowers to encourage more blossoms. Hummingbirds, bees and butterflies are drawn to the nectar-rich flowers, while pests like rabbits and deer tend to avoid them.

As the first F1 hybrid foxglove, Camelot has hybrid vigor and outgrows and outblooms all others. Foxgloves are excellent cut flowers that last a long time in a vase.

Foxgloves are the source of the drug digitalis, so keep all parts of the plants away from pets and children.

For a mythical garden, put in some Camelot foxgloves and create your own legend, that will never “be forgot, that once there was a spot, for one brief shining moment that was known as Camelot.”