Foxglove Question

[snuffer]

This year we have a problem with the foxgloves growing in our garden. Not all but at least 70% of them have a main stem that is very hard and woody, on some of them it is much thicker than usual aswell. The individual flowers on the flower spike are very small with large gaps between each flower. They do look rather sad and pathetic. Can any one hazard a guess as to what might be wrong with them ?

Please don,t ask me to post a picture of them. I wouldn't know where to start.

[Two_Sheds]

Yes, they are last year's plants, that have come back for a second go. (foxies are biennial).
For nice strong plants with a central spire, grow them as an annual.

[Flummery]

I pull mine out when they have finished in the late autumn/early winter. I make sure I leave them in long enough for the seed to blow about - it's like dust! I then get loads of little rosettes of leaves in the aututmn. It's these little plants that shoot up next spring and make good flower spikes in their second year.

[Snadger]

I rather like the white variety and it usually self seeds!

[Flummery]

I have both white, purple and pink. They all started off as a couple of purple plants given to me by a friend. Useless if you are trying to colour theme your flower beds because you never know what will come up where - but that's definitely not my style!