I have a question. I just got some columbine seeds in a trade. Can I plant them now or do I need to wait to winter sow. Or when should I sow them?
Show Us Your Columbine #2
Zen, My guess is to plant them now. If they were falling out onto the ground now in the garden, they would sprout there.
I have some I started from seed last month coming up.
Andy P
It would be OK to sow them now. You would find those that sow naturally will start to germinate in late summer/early Autumn when it gets cool and moist. It's not too late at all to sow perennials anyway, June can be a good time.
I'm speaking for here, but it shouldn't be much differnet for you, correct me someone if it is!
I think I will plant half now and then winter sow the other half.
I'd suggest you sow them now, because most won't bloom the first year anyway, so if you can get a head start on them, all the better!
I'm with KB, Also fresh seed has a higher germination rate.
Andy P
I'm pleased to discover that many of my columbines are still going. When I grew them in Michigan, they never seemed to flourish, so I didn't realize they had a longer bloom period.
Or is something odd going on this year? This is year two for them.
Here is McKana's Giant (I'm fairly certain...I didn't mark it when I planted it.)
Hi!
I have a question:
Has anyone noticed if columbine hybrids attract butterflies and have nectar for them? I know that the wild ones do. I want to find out as I am planning on sowing them for my wildlife garden. thank you!
I have some late starters still blooming too, I think they are the ones that perhaps grew later in the season last year.
Spider, I have seen some butterflies here but they tend to be around only briefly, it's when their young hatch later in the season I see them more. It may be different where you are.
I have had plenty of bumblebees on the Aquilegia though, earlier the Queens build their nests and need the nectar, they are the sole supporters of their first brood. We had some very cold weather and I saw a few dead after that, they do die but I wondered if they had managed to feed their young properly first. There are some around now but mostly very small ones, I'm waiting to see if they reappear when and if the young hatch. I have never seen as many different types of bumblebees, they are so interesting. Early in the season they were feeding on a large Pieris and crocus.
I was noticing today that my 'Music Harmony', the big blue one, is still blooming. That's almost a month. Makes me smile.
Andy P
My 'Songbird Robin' is still blooming, too. But this is my first year growing them, so I didn't know what to expect.
One of my wild columbine is still blooming which is very unusual, even more unusual to me, it isn't columbine, is my bleeding heart.
All of montana is still blooming in Columbines. Mine are full and have held flowers now for over a month. Butterflies are too late to use columbine blooms. Need a later wildflower. I love rainny summers (except for the misquitoes) the garden is singing every day a new song.
What a beautiful group of columbines Soferdig. Mine are about done for the year.
Susan
Yeah I'm patiently waiting for the seeds and plan on trading a mix with DGers this winter.
I have a few re-bloomers but the rest are done for the year. I did spread most of the seeds I got in the trade, I kept a few to winter sow.
Red Hobbit. It's supposed to reseed true to itself. It's a beautiful as the picture.
Yeah Billy! Thanks for getting this thread restarted. I have the big ole purple ones blooming so far.
Lovely billy!
My beds seem to be full of Aquilegias now, more new self sets and they are lovely! Wherever I look from my back door there are aquilegias.
This is new from a set last year, it's a dark maroon-purple-black.
I had a double blue and cream last year, this year there is a double pink and cream near it. You can see the blue in the background. They are a little shorter, taking their height from the spring magic pink.
The strange shaped pink and white double I had last year is a huge plant this year, very tall with masses of flowers. It has some single but mostly double.
The double petticoats have made some more interesting plants, I have 3 more purple and white ones. One has a different form, another with a tinge of maroon in the purple.
This double petticoats self set has a faint lilac flush, with some of the flowers having up to 6 layers.
Closer
This is probably a cross with a white double petticoat, the petals are more of an even length and there are 10 of those with lovely curly things under the top petals.
Another self set, very tall. It has small petals curling in to the stamens, and purple tinged top curls.
lovely to see, all those beauties. cutting back time here.
I'm wondering if there are any unique foliage-type columbine. Do they have it in a compact form, a dwarf, variegated, or with a uniquely colored leaf (lime, burgandy, blue)? I think the regular green leaf is has a soft, lush feel. But, as the plant matures and finishes blooming I think that it looks rather weedy...and then there is that issue with self-seeding. I have avoided planting any in my garden. However all of the blooms posted here look great!
This columbine is a pretty!royal blue color,that is in bloom.
Here is another dark colored columbine.I am not sure if it is a magpie.Sometimes columbines cross.
Wallaby, love the double petticoats w/a faint lilac flush & the strange shaped pink and white double. My pink/white ones have blooms but not completely open yet, My neighbor down the road has a really pretty blue with white at the very tips. She told me I could get the seeds from it when they set. :)
willmetge, there is a variegated named 'Woodside' that I am attempting to start from seed this year. it has a gold & green leaf & purple flowers.
billy, love the red!
wallaby, great show! I have only one in my garden, but hope to have more soon as I have wintersown seed from many generous DG friends.
skimper, the royal blue is lovely. someday I plan to have a blue & yellow garden.
I have some starting - actually this one Chocolate Soldier is done already.
I really like Winky red and white double.
Bigcityal, love the chocolate soldier one and the red and white. beautiful pics.
pepsidrinker, the blue with white tips is probably Blue Towers, it was popular a few years ago along with Pink Towers.
My neighbour has some which have crossed with mine, they are similar to the double petticoats, mostly dusky pink shades and have a few layers.
This one is near the petticoats, a self set crossed with those with the dark colour at the bottom.
As it ages it fades
Who cares if they seed around if you get a gaden full of gorgeous flowers at a time when there is little else? I have other plants around mine which take over once the foliage dies back, no problem!
Another volunteer, a dwarf in the bed with a couple I grew from the Robin, which make very few viable seeds so they continue to flower.
Janet, I wish mine would reseed around more! =)