Aquilegia, Columbine or Granny's Bonnets - OH MY!!
These plants herald the start spring in my garden. There is something very magical about Aquilegias. Originating from the Northern Hemisphere these are short lived perennial plants that will self seed throughout your garden. They are very easy to grow enjoying full sun to part shade in damp but not wet conditions in cooler climates (frost hardy). The flowers come in every shade of the rainbow and there are also bicolour flowers. They are most well known for the "spurs" on their petals. However, there are other flower types. Grow these plants in the middle of mixed boarders as they grow to around 1m in height. Aquilegias are ideal for cottage gardens, meadow gardens and wild gardens.
Aquilegias have been used as cut flowers for centuries. Sear the stem ends in boiling water and stand them in deep water for several hours before arranging. Vase life is between 3 and 4 days but are so worth it.
We supply mix seeds collected from our large range of plants.
Aquilegia x cultorum 'McKana Giants'
were developed to produce large flowers (around 8cm) with long graceful spurs. This range of Aquilegias comes in a large selection of colours including combinations of white, pink, blue, yellow, pink, pale-blue, purple and scarlet, with crisp coloured outer petals, and cream/white coloured inner petals. Plants
Aquilegia caerulea Origami is is a hybrid strain of Columbine that flowers freely the first season from seed. Plants have a compact habit, the large, up facing blooms usually bicolored in a variety of shades.
Aquilegia vulgaris 'Earlybird White'
Aquilegia 'Goldfinch' is part of the Songbird Columbines range. The Songbird series features large upright facing, spurred blooms held on sturdy, compact stems over lacy blue-green leaves. The colour is a beautiful soft creamy-yellow shade.
Aquilegia vulgaris 'William Guiness' features unusual, small purple-black flowers over a low mound of ferny green foliage.
Aquilegia vulgaris Double Flower Mix
Aquilegia vulgaris var. stellata 'Black Barlow' was bred for cut flower production. It is particularly beautiful with its fully double, dark plum-purple (almost black) flowers that look like starry pom poms. This variety of Aquilegia doesn't have the spures which are associated with these flowers.
Aquilegia 'Double Pleat Blackberry' is a compact, upright, clump-forming, herbaceous perennial with deeply-divided, blue-green leaves and, from late spring into summer, slender, upright stems bearing spurred, nodding, double, dark purple flowers with white-tipped petals.
A selection of our plants in flower.