Columbines in the garden are one of the most beautiful flowers in spring. Columbine plants (Aquilegia spp.) have an airy appearance, with small, rounded leaves and tall flower stalks. The columbine flowering time is mid-spring. The bell-shaped flowers of Aquilegia are popular with bees and gardeners.
Several native species are grown as garden plants, but this plant has been cultivated for many years. This has led to dozens of popular hybrids and cultivars, with more being developed every year. The plant is easy to cross-breed, and gardeners who plant two different Columbine varieties sometimes get a whole new look through self-seeding
Danger:Columbine plants are poisonous to people and pets.
You can grow columbine from seeds or nursery plants. They thrive in almost any well-drained soil, but prefer slightly acidic soil. Columbines are planted with the crown at ground level. TheSeeds can be sown directly in springbecome. Seeds need light to germinate. So just press them to the surface of the soil and cover them little. When sown from seed, Aquilegia may take two years to bloom.
Most columbines in the garden bloom for at least four weeks and are hardier than they look. They are typically short-lived perennials but spread by self-seeding and stay in your garden for years. After flowering, cut it back to the ground and let surrounding plants fill the space. Columbines reliably return the following year or are replaced by self-seeding.
Licht:For the best blooms and the healthiest plants, a spot in partial shade is ideal. Columbine plants can tolerate full sun in the spring, but after they bloom and replenish their energy stores, they appreciate some shade in the heat of summer.
Boden:Columbine plants can be planted in all soils, but they do better in sandier, loamier soils and not quite as well in heavy clay soils.
Water:New plants need to be kept moist until they become established. This is when they show a lot of new growth. Even then, you should water your columbine well during dry periods.
Temperature and humidity:Columbines are sensitive to high temperatures and produce more flowers in cooler weather.
Fertilizers:Fertilize the plant monthly with a water-soluble product. This encourages dense foliage and bright flowers.
Which Aquilegia varieties are there?
Columbine varieties include both dwarf varieties, which are only 15 cm high, and large varieties such as McKana's Giants, which are more than 90 cm high and have large flowers. Note that columbine varieties cross-pollinate easily. If you plant more than one variety, expect new colors and combinations. A small part of the Columbine species:
- Aquilegia “Crimson Star” has long-spurred crimson flowers and blooms for four to six weeks in late spring to early summer.
- Aquilegia “McKana Hybrid” has long-spurred, bicolor flowers that can be blue and white, red and yellow, or other color combinations. It blooms in late spring to early summer.
- Aquilegia caerulea “Rocky Mountain” has fern-like, gray-green foliage and blooms for four to six weeks in late spring and early summer. The flowers have violet-blue sepals, white petals and yellow stamens.
- Aquilegia “BlueBird” blooms with long-spurred blue and white flowers up to 8 cm long. It belongs to the Columbine songbird series, which also includes “Cardinal” and “Dove”.
Columbine plants should be cut back to the healthy basal leaves shortly after flowering. This can encourage the growth of a second shoot within a few weeks, so you can enjoy another display of flowers later in the season. Columbines in the garden can be cut back to about half their height after flowering to keep the plant attractive and green for the rest of the summer.
How to Propagate Columbines in the Garden
The columbines in the garden are not easy to divide because they have deep roots. If you need to divide the plant, dig as deep as possible in a circle around the roots, pull up without tearing the soil ball, and divide quickly with a sharp instrument. Keep as much soil around the roots as possible and replant quickly.
Propagation from collected seeds is easier. After the petals dry out, harvest the ripe seed pods that are inside and break them open to collect the shiny black seeds. Store them in the refrigerator over the winter and plant them in the garden next spring.
How to Grow Aquilegia from Seeds
It's not difficult to grow columbine flowers from seed, but note that they usually don't bloom until their second year. The seeds also need a three to four week cold period before they germinate. You can ensure this by storing the seed packets in the refrigerator before sowing.
Columbine seeds should be planted in a sunny location indoors. It takes about 30 days,until the seeds have germinated. Once the seedlings have developed a few true leaves and reached a height of 8 to 10 cm, plant them outdoors.
Are columbines hardy in the garden?
There are differences between Aquilegia species in terms of frost resistance. Nevertheless, all columbines in the garden survive the winter without having to take any special precautions. It is only advisable in the year of plantinglight winter protectionto be used in the form of leaves, straw or conifer branches. Remove dead leaves and cut the plant back to ground level.
How to make Aquilegia bloom
Note that many varieties of columbine do not bloom until their second season. They need the first season to develop a healthy root system and have no energyfor the beautiful flowersleft over. If the columbines are planted too deep in the garden, they will not bloom as they require shallow planting. Be sure to remove the layer of mulch used for overwintering early in the season as this can also inhibit flowering. Finally, keep in mind that nitrogen-rich soil produces beautiful green foliage, but inhibits flower growth.
