Guide to growing garden plants: Aquilegia, Columbine
The hardy perennial Aquilega typically flowers from mid spring until early summer.
Description of Columbine
Aquilega is a native plant of Europe ; they vary in size, smaller types are as little as 10cm in height, whilst larger varieties can grow to as high as 90cm.
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| Gary A. Monroe @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database |
They often have multicoloured intricate flowers that sit on top of a thin stalks, which themselves carry toothed leaves. Columbine make an ideal plant for a woodland simulation.
How to grow Columbine
It is best to start Aquilega off indoors. Seeds should be imbibed for three weeks; this can be achieved by sowing the seeds in moist soil in flats and then placing in the fridge. Following germination the flat should be sunk into the ground in a shady location in spring. Once seedlings begin to appear they should be transplanted. If growing to the seedling stage indoors they should be sown out with a spacing of fifteen to thirty centimetres for smaller varieties and with a spacing of approximately 40 to 60 centimetres for larger varieties. Columbine should be sown out after the last frost of spring. Columbine has a preference for shady conditions but is able to survive in full sunlight in mild areas. The ideal soil type should be humus rich, well drained and with a pH of 5.5 to 7.0.
Caring for Columbine
The seedlings of Columbine are very delicate, it is therefore very important to treat them gently when transplanting; they should be kept moist and out of full sunlight. Aquilega should be deadheaded to enable continue blooming throughout its flowering season (see above). Taller varieties should be staked, and short lived varieties should be replanted every three or four years.
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