Alright, grab your sun hat and a pair of garden shears, because we’re going flower picking in the Netherlands! This time, we’re on the hunt for the majestic delphinium. These towering spires of blue, purple, pink, and white are the supermodels of the flower field—tall, dramatic, and impossible to ignore. The good news? Several Dutch farms invite you to come cut your own, turning a simple afternoon into a full-blown floral adventure.

The Art of the Pick

First things first: choose your weapon (a clean, sharp pair of scissors or secateurs). Walk the rows like you’re browsing a living art gallery. Look for stems where the bottom third of the tiny flowers have opened, but the top is still a cluster of tight buds. That’s the sweet spot—they’ll keep opening in your vase for over a week. Hold the stem near the base (they’re hollow and bendy, so be gentle), cut at an angle, and immediately pop it into a bucket of water you brought along. Don’t be shy: pick a few different shades. A mix of deep indigo and pale lavender will make you feel like a Dutch master painter.

The best part? Picking with friends or kids. Let everyone choose their own “king of the hill” stem. Laughter guaranteed when Uncle Henk tries to wrestle a six-foot-tall delphinium into the car.

Once You’re Home: The Flower Stylist Hour

Now, for the real fun. Delphiniums are the drama queens of the vase. Use a tall, narrow vase (they need support for their heavy heads) and strip off any leaves that would sit below the waterline—they rot fast and turn the water into a swampy mess. Mix them with white snapdragons or soft pink peonies for a romantic look, or go bold with orange gerbera for a “why not?” color pop.

Decoration Ideas

  • Centerpiece of Dreams: Place a tall glass cylinder on your dining table. Fill it with only delphiniums in graduated heights. It looks like a tiny, colorful skyline.
  • Drying for Later: Hang a bundle upside down in a dark, dry spot for two weeks. The blue holds well—use the dried spires in wreaths or as architectural accents in a bookcase.
  • Single-Stern Statement: Put one perfect stem in a skinny bud vase on your nightstand. It’s like a personal mini-firework, forever frozen in bloom.

One More Thing: Tea? Not This Time

Delphiniums are beautiful, but they are also toxic if ingested (a fact that sounds scary, but is really just a reminder not to mistake them for a salad). So skip any culinary adventures with this one. Instead, keep them for pure, 100% guilt-free eyeball candy.

The Dutch Delphinium Delight Cocktail (No petals involved!)

Because flowers are for admiring, not drinking—but you can still match their color. Here’s a cocktail to sip while you gaze at your gorgeous haul.

The “Blue Tower”

  • 2 oz (60 ml) gin
  • 1 oz (30 ml) blue curaçao (for that delphinium blue)
  • 0.5 oz (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
  • 0.25 oz (7 ml) simple syrup
  • 2 oz (60 ml) chilled quality tonic water
  • Ice
  • Edible orchid or a sprig of blue borage for garnish (if you want a safe flower!)

Method: Fill a tall glass with ice. Shake the gin, blue curaçao, lemon juice, and syrup with more ice in a cocktail shaker. Strain into the glass. Top with tonic water. Stir gently. Garnish with a pretty, edible flower (never a delphinium!). The taste is crisp, citrusy, and a little magical—just like your day at the flower farm.

So go on. Go pick your own delphinium sky. Your living room is about to get a whole lot taller.