Aquilegia

Posted by Alistair on Monday, March 26th, 2007

Aquilegia (Columbine) Granny’s Bonnet)

A perfect early summer flowering perennial for the Scottish garden. Genus of about seventy species from the northern hemisphere. Leaves are often glaucous blue/green, deeply divided and fernlike.

Flowers are distinctive and usually bell shaped, borne singly or in short panicles on leafy stems. Those new to gardening could be forgiven for thinking this beauty was a tender plant that may be reserved for the experienced gardener. However this is most definitely not the case.

Look out for the old favourite Mckana, beautiful spurred flowers in a range of bicolours, including, blue-yellow-salmon-pink-white and lemon. One extra special columbine to look out for is FRAGRANS as the name suggests the flowers are very fragrant, leaves are more finely divided and delicate on this one, flowers are creamy white and blue tinted.

:Height – 15cm/90cm

: Position – Full sun/Partial shade in fertile moist yet well drained soil

:Hardiness – Fully hardy and reliable down to minus 15 degrees

Aquilegia Fragrans