AQUILEGIA
Yellow Aquilegia caerulea and Aquilegia vulgaris ‘Clementine White’ with Iris x hollandica ‘Blue Magic’ in my spring garden.
By late November (mid-spring in New Zealand), we have all enjoyed a month or so of the fantastical display of aquilegia, nodding their pretty heads above the green mounds of summer plants just getting into gear.
This was the first year that I made an intentional planting of new varieties beyond my resident, self-seeding common aquilegia that sporadically throws up deep purple, vintage pinks and white flowers.
Aquilegia vulgaris ‘Clementine White’
Broadly referred to as granny’s bonnet, columbine or European crowfoot, depending on where in the world you hail from, the term aquilegia will safely bridge any local monikers. Part of the buttercup family, they are a native of Europe and have spread and naturalised through North America and Central Asia.
By nature, aquilegia are a short-lived perennial of just two-three years but are accomplished self-seeders, meaning once you have them, they’re likely to hang around. They are the plants that will seed into even your worst rubbly areas and bring joy to tricky, partially shaded spots.
In saying this, when self-seeding, some hybrid varieties may revert to the common species mentioned above or change colour, so pluck out any new plants that aren’t presenting as you want. This is due to the ease with which they cross-pollinate, and if you want to protect your favourite stock, it’s best to remove varieties of those that you don’t want to dominate.
While there is a rainbow of colours and a complex array of bloom structure within this family, they all shoot their blooms up on long straight stems from clumps of softly lobed leaves. As most grow to waist height, they are best planted in the middle of a bed.
I have found their fanned, fern-like foliage to be fantastic for picking as much as the flowers themselves. You just want to avoid that soft, floppy fresh growth before nibbling at them with secateurs.
This year, I was excited to see the results of dotting a very pretty white variety through my new beds, gratefully given to me by Anita Todd of Saddlewood garden in Hawarden, where it can be spotted over most fences in the region.
Aquilegia vulgaris ‘Clementine White’ feels very fancy with its clustered, compact buds, which open to lush double blooms with a distinct concertina look.
To complement these, I intermingled a primrose yellow variety of Aquilegia caerulea that offers giant, long-spurred blooms. Combined with the intense blue of Iris x hollandica ‘Blue Magic’ and the budding balls of Phlomis russeliana, the vision came together pretty well for its first season.
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