What time should I see the emergence of my columbines? They seem to never come back in the spring. After they bloom, I wait until the seeds dry in the flower and then cut the stem and shake them to initiate more for the next year. What do I get from the seeds? Nothing. What do I get from the previous plants? Nothing. They never come back and I have to buy them every year. At my previous houses in this area, they came back and I didn't have to buy them unless I wanted a different color. What is the best way for their culture?
Karin ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Where are the columbines?
Karin, mine are up in Cincinnati and here in Lynchburg. They are not blooming yet, but they are up! LOL
I see nothing as of April 2nd. Guess I'll have to buy some more again. I just looked and I don't see a speck of anything where they should be. BOO HOO!
Karin ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You could always buy seeds now, toss them in the fridge then just sow them out. Mine seem to do best in the more yucky clay dirt at the other house. Hmmmm.
Mine are up too...at our old house. If I have time I'll transplant some! :) I don't know what the trick is. I've moved them around to 3 locations and the place they liked best was partial shade, covered with a thin layer of mulch next to a big clematis. They thrived on neglect. Maybe you take care of them too well!
This photo from late last spring...
This message was edited Apr 2, 2006 11:00 PM
I like the pale shade that you have. I bought some at the Home Depot last year and they seemed to thrive. I had them in a bed that has fairly good soil and is under a Norway Spruce. I yanked up some myrtle earlier this spring that was near them. Maybe that was the problem this year. I disturbed them?!?
Karin ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There could be several reasons they aren't coming back.
(BTW ours are up too)
Could be the soil (unlikely but...) probably though the seeds aren't viable.
Unless these are species Columbine or true to form cultivars they are probably hybrids.
If Hybrids they won't come back true to form anyway.
Or the seeds just may not germinate.
Some selfseed prolifically.
Some not so much. lol
I've not had much luck w/ scattering the seed.
Letting Nature do it seems to work best.
Ric
My purple columbine up by my house are up now, about two inches high. The ones planted out in the garden haven't surfaced yet -- I give them another two weeks or so.
-Joe
mine are just poking up thru the new mulch I put down less than a month ago, so give them some time, and please, don't go buying any, I have purples, whites, all kinds, they reseed so wonderfully here I would be happy to try to get your gardens blooming with columbine - just give mine some time to really get up and going and I can dig them.
Here I let the pods dry and split, but before they get to this point, I usually make the mulch from around the plants, it seems to work here.
Laurrie
I have never had much luck with columbines. I have only tried planting a few from seed. I may try buying a few plants . I just love them.
I was in Dayton earlier in the week and visted Cox Arboretum. It was lovely with the magnolia trees in bloom and many daffs out.
Teresa in KY
Teresa,
Don't forget their Mother's Day Sale.
The Cox Gang goes all out.
Ric
Tell me more about the sale, please. My daughter has finally said she was buying flowers to plant! Cox A. really was a good experience for her. She is fairly close and even wanted to have lunch break there sometimes. I told her not to be in to big of a hurry to plant annuals, because of the frost factor,
Last year I brought up lirope, hosta and a few dls to get her started on perennials.
I'll start another thread once I get the details.
Ric
My columbines are up and growing well. The ones I've had the longest are Rose Barlowe and I believe this is their 3rd year to come back. I seem to have better luck starting the seeds in jiffy pellets than scattering the seeds, go figure, I though they'd do better on their own. I started 2 different kinds of yellows this winter, they have since been repotted and are in the hardening off process, they look great so far.
Vicki