Adorable columbine

Delicate and fragile, they look, these adorable beauties. Make no mistake, columbines are extremely hardy and robust. When one sees the breathtaking sight of numerous columbine beds in lovely and delicate pastels or in dark muted hues, the mind is immediately drawn back to the garden of childhood, where they grew in great numbers - growing everywhere in grandmother's perennial beds.

The Flower of Surprise
Columbines are very easy and faithful plants. They appear year after year and usually grow in number as they are good at seed propagation. However, it is a flower that is full of surprises. Seeds from the same plant can bloom in violet, pink and blue colors one year, and bloom in delicate pastels the next. The reason for this is that many of the columbine varieties you buy today are crosses between several different varieties. They contain genetic material from the various mother plants. At the same time, the many different columbines also cross with each other when the bees pollinate them. This again gives rise to other varieties. If you want to keep your columbine beds in the colors they have now, you must cut off the seed pods while they are still green, so that the seeds do not spread. If you want a mixed glory of all the wonderful shades columbines offer, then finally let them germinate. Columbines come in a sea of ​​shades, ranging from white, cream and various exquisite pastels to the stronger, yet muted shades of rose, pink, violet, aubergine, dark burgundy, blue, blue-purple and dark blue. Many are even bi-coloured and some species have full lace-like flowers.

Facts about common columbines:
Flowering time: May-July
Height: 80-120 cm
Growing place: Sun-shade
Soil: Good well-drained garden soil, preferably calcareous
Bouquets: Stay beautiful for 3-4 days

Easy Beauties
Common columbines are from the hand of nature, native to light forests and forest edges in moist and nutrient-rich soil. It is a grateful plant that thrives in both sun and shade, and in most soils. It actually does not make great demands on its surroundings. However, it grows best in a good and well-drained garden soil, preferably calcareous. If columbine grows in a sunny place, it will be completely dense and full of flowers, which unfortunately do not last much more than about 3-4 weeks. If, on the other hand, they grow in the shade, the flowering will last considerably longer. The abundance of flowers will then be slightly less. The height of the old-fashioned columbine beds varies from 80 cm to approximately 120 cm, depending on the variety. However, there are also new hybrids that are low. Here the flowers are significantly larger than on the old varieties. The tall varieties are beautiful anywhere in the garden, due to their graceful stature. They fit in so well in most gardens, especially in very relaxed and romantic gardens, which are all the rage today.

Columbines can be bought at nurseries or they can be bought as seeds. It is absolutely the easiest and cheapest way to get columbines in the garden, and the seeds germinate very willingly and easily. If you already have columbines in your garden or know someone who does, they can be moved in early spring or autumn. It is easiest to move the young plants. They do not have such a large root and there is therefore a greater probability that they will survive.

Columbine in Bouquets
Columbines are quite beautiful in bouquets, and make the bouquet more rural and natural. However, they do not last more than 4 days at the most. You can increase shelf life a bit by removing all the leaves on the bottom of the stems. Put them in water and let them soak for an hour or two before arranging the bouquet. In a glass vase you can have some of the most beautiful heads lying and floating in water. Then they can be enjoyed up close.