It’s high time I showcased some of nature’s beautiful creations, like granny’s bonnets, aka columbine (Aquilegia vulgaris).
These distinctive flowers have funnel -shaped blooms in numerous colours, often two-toned, sometimes frilly, with the more ruffled varieties supposedly looking like old-fashioned bonnets.
They appear in the garden in spring, the stems reaching 40-60cm high, and they have a vase life of 3-5 days.
Seeds are typically sown in autumn because they need a period of cold to germinate. You can sow them direct if you’re confident they won’t get lost in the garden, or sow in small pots and place in a greenhouse or cold frame to grow on. Otherwise, grab some flowering plants from your local garden centre now and plant out.
If you’re lucky, your granny’s bonnets will self-sow, but they probably won’t be the same as their parent plant. If you’d rather collect the seeds, wait for the flower to transform into a papery seed head, then snip it off and place the head in a paper bag and shake until the seeds fall out. Let the seeds dry completely then store in an envelope for sowing next autumn.
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