Columbine McKana Giant Hybrids – Mr. Fothergill’s Seeds
Aquilegia caerulea (Ranunculaceae)
- Long spurred flowers in a beautiful array of colours.
- For borders, cut flowers and cottage gardens.
- 60cm tall, 40cm wide.
- Germination in 21-42 days
- Partial Shade
- Hardy Perennial
- Harmful if eaten
Nostalgic and romantic, this delightful seed mixture of solid colours and bicolours is superb in borders and informal settings, where the plants will add a welcome splash of early summer colour. The blooms of McKana’s Giant Mixed have elegant long ‘spurs’ which add to their charm.
Aquilegia is an easy-to-grow hardy perennial which flowers for the first time in the year after sowing and in subsequent summers. The name ‘aquilegia’ comes from the Latin aquila (eagle), a reference to the shape of the spurs of its petals.
Approx. 150 Seeds
Sow indoors for surest results, February-June, 0.5cm (¼”) deep, in a tray of compost. Water well and place in a cold frame, unheated greenhouse, or on a warm kitchen windowsill. Keep moist. Seedlings usually appear in 21-42 days. Transplant individually, when large enough to handle, to 7.5cm (3″) pots. Always hold seedlings by a leaf, never by the stem. Gradually accustom young plants to outside conditions, before planting out into well-drained soil, June-October, 30cm (1′) apart.
Sow outdoors, April-June, in a seed bed, 0.5cm (¼) deep, into finely-prepared, well-drained soil, which has already been watered. Thin seedlings to 5cm (2”) apart, before planting out to flowering position in autumn. Flowers: May-July, the following year.
The trimming back of dead stems, after flowering, will encourage the plants to remain as a compact clump. Extend the flowering season by pinching off faded flowers.
