How to Grow Columbine (Aquilegia)

Columbines are spring-blooming flowers that are delightful for the sunny flower and shrub border or in partial shade. Many flower colors are available, including shades of lavender, pink and cream. Some flowers are quite fancy with long extensions, called spurs, which curl back.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

things you’ll need:

• Bypass Pruners
• Fertilizers
• Garden Hoses
• Garden Trowels
• Plants
• Plants

Caring for Columbine

1. Water plants weekly throughout the first summer.
2. Cut back old flowers and foliage, using bypass pruners, and then let the plant grow new leaves; these will look neater through the summer.
3. Collect seeds to grow more columbines by letting the flowers set seeds before you shake out the seeds into an envelope.

Choosing Columbine

1. Shop for columbines in the spring, when they are in bloom at the nursery.
2. Look for plants in 4-inch pots.
3. Look for healthy plants that have no damage to the foliage.
4. Select seed packets in the summer if you intend to grow columbines from seed.

Planting Columbine

1. Plant columbine plants in full sun in cooler climates and partial shade in warmer regions.
2. Add a little organic fertilizer to the planting hole.
3. Place a 2- to 3-inch layer of organic mulch, such as compost, around the plant to help retain water.
4. Or, sow seeds in the summer, when the plants normally go to seed. Sow the seeds just where you want them to grow in the garden, and be sure to mark the spot so you don’t forget. The plants will grow that summer and fall and then bloom the next spring.