Columbines
If you have ever loved a plant, you know how many there are to love. I love so many myself! One of my favorites is the Columbine, Genus- Aquilegia.There are hundreds of Columbines…species, hybrids, xhybrids…. simply HUNDREDS! And you could pay alot of money for one single plant…. but if you know Columbines…. you may never have to pay for anything more than a few seeds to have hours and years of incredible, wonderful, and wildly suprising plants.
Columbines- as wonderful as they are- are the Charlatans of your Garden! They are the flippant and free-spirited Lady’s Of The Evening! You might spend a few dollars for the perfect ‘Nora Barlow’, a few more for the incredible ‘Songbird Blue’ and plant them hundreds of yards apart hoping to have two different beautiful drifts of Columbines…. but trust me- they will find each other! and before you know it- you will have “weird little ‘Bines’ everywhere! If they weren’t so darn cute they might be labled a WEED!
Let’s look at what they offer…..They are hardy every single place I have ever visited, lived, passed through, or known! They require zero maintenance! You don’t even have to plant one in your yard to have them! A bird flying over, a squirrel passing through, your neighbor’s dog that ran through a garden, and voila! You have a Columbine growing
wild in the least expected place. They reseed themselves, colonize quickly, you can mow them, walk on them, sit on them, and they spring right back! Before you know it- you have a beautiful drift of Columbines you never even planned for!
For some fun? why let Mother Nature decide what you might get… cross pollinate them yourself. It’s quite simple… just take the pollen from one plant and sprinkle it on another, collect the seed in the fall and toss it into another spot. I have never had failure and have some of the wierdest, and most beautiful Columbines in return.
I have found that most of the Cultivars- after a few years- will revert back to species, so have fun with the
pollen while you can.The down side of a Columbine? Absolutely none in my book! Get out there, get adventurous, and get crazy! I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the results when spring comes and your new Columbines rise
from their winter sleep!
Get out there and play with your plants, and enjoy!
Author Shawne Hudson
