Re: Identity of Aquilegia (was Hummingbird Feeder)
Dear Moira,
I was thrilled to read your description of these columbines.
In several decades, you are the first person I have found
who has them (and I am always looking - as a member of
garden societies, garden judge, arranging garden tours) and
I have never seen them anywhere but in my own garden. You
have described them perfectly, from so many pale pinks to an
almost bluish lilac and of course every shade of pink and
white and a deep purple. There is also a cherry red one
that has survived for years in a shaded wild area off the
bank outside the garden. They are very long-lived plants -
a white one has been in the same location for 15-20 years.
They probably went out of favour when more elegant forms
were introduced.
Don't you think there are many lost or forgotten garden
plants like this? Also from past generations of my family's
gardens I have a lovely white corydalis that self-seeds and
survives the coldest winters and driest summers without any
help. It grows into 15" mounds of soft bright green
foliage, clusters of white flowers, and survives on a very
superficial root system. It is a wonderful filler around
irises - or anything. I have never seen this in the nursery
trade or in other people's gardens unless I have given it to
them. Once you have it, you will always have it.
Diane Pertson
Vancouver Island
___________________
> Diane wrote:
> >
> > Many birds arrived early two years ago after the
> > El Nino storms down south drove them out ahead of
schedule.
> > I have about 200 locations reporting to me as we track
their
> > return to Vancouver Island and time and again, the birds
> > will go directly to where the feeder hung last year,
whether
> > it is there or not.
> >
> > Something they appreciate in my garden is an
old-fashioned
> > early columbine from several generations of my family's
> > gardens - I keep looking for a proper name for it but
have
> > never seen it in my extensive botanical library - we
call it
> > Grannies' Bonnets. It is self-seeded everywhere in
white,
> > pink, lilac and purple - kind of dumpy almost double
> > flowers. They just love it to start the season off with
> > (later, I love the mounds of turquoise foliage)
>
> I too have either the same or a very similar Aquilegia.
The original
> seed came from the garden of an elderly lady for whom I
once worked. I
> have all the colours you mention but also two blues, a
pretty pale blue
> and a somewhat darker one. The pinks come in every shade
from a deepish
> salmon and a rose to very pale pink shades. Unfortunately
the paler and
> less interesting pinks often predominate. When I am
feeling energetic I
> pull some of the wishy-washy ones out to try and improve
things. Many
> are single, but various degrees of doublness also occur.
Occasionally
> they produce bicolours. I do have a most attractive one of
these in deep
> violet and white and to my pleasure it seems to breed true
to the
> colours, though some plants produce single flowers and
others doubles
> (but presumably from the same basic parent as they grow
alongside one
> another). I did not have the really blue shades
originally, but I
> suspect they may have arisen from crossing with A alpina
which I grew at
> one time.
>
> When I first had this strain, I also grew a few
long-spurred columbines,
> but these gradually died out and have not been replaced.
They did not
> grow near my precious Grannybonnets and I have no reason
to think they
> ever crossed as I have never spotted any long or straight
spurs on my
> "Grannies".
>
> I have always just assumed these were either A vulgaris
(single or
> Fl.Pl) or close to it, as the simpler forms at least seem
to conform to
> the botanical descriptions I have and also to several
illustrations,
> especially in having the characteristic curved spurs.
However, before
> writing this I went out in the garden and checked (they
are here just at
> the height of their year's flowering) and I actually found
a couple of
> individuals which were not only extremely double, but HAD
NO SPURS AT
> ALL. The top of the flower was simply rounded off. It
seems as though
> evolution may be alive and well and operating in my
garden!!
>
> Whatever their origin, I find them a most satisfactory
flower, as they
> plant themselves with such pleasing artistry in many parts
of my rather
> shady garden and fill a slight gap between the most
brilliant of the
> spring flowering and the later summer richness. I also
love their bluish
> leaves which persist as a gentle groundcover right through
the year,
> sometimes taking on subtile purplish shades in winter.
>
> Moira
> --
> Tony & Moira Ryan <theryans@xtra.co.nz>
> Wainuiomata (near Wellington, capital city of New Zealand)
>
