Re: Identity of Aquilegia (was Hummingbird Feeder)
Moira, the spurless aquilegias you mention sound like something I've
read about called Nora Barlow that's in King's seeds catalogue, and
elsewhere. I guess it's a natural mutation. I'm not having much
success in germinating Aquilegias. I know they should have cold
stratification, so maybe I'll just stop for now, and try again in winter
since I can't spare room in the fridge. I think I need a gardening
fridge. My partner has mushroom spawn in it that we keep forgetting to
put in bags of straw as well.
Tony & Moira Ryan wrote:
>
> 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)
