Another good year for the Origami Red and White (Aquilegia caerulea ‘Origami Red and White’).
For some reason the variety seems to like to grow up here in the north.
This year the blooming season for the columbines will be short. After a long period of cool weather a two week heatwave hit us and made the flowers to bloom quickly.
The aquilegia season is here. Most of the varieties are at their best and blooming beautifully.
It took me several years to grow the Bordeaux Barlow (Aquilegia vulgaris var. stellata ‘Bordeaux Barlow’) from the seeds but now I have many of them.
Up here in the north it usually takes three years before this variety starts to bloom. Most of the other varieties already bloom during the second season.
I had completely forgotten that I planted Origami Red and White (Aquilegia caerulea ‘Origami Red and White’) seeds last year.
The blooms were a nice surprise and lasted long.
Now the flowering season for columbines is over but it is time to collect the seeds. This surely was a variety that I want to see more in my garden.
I have had Yellow Queen (Aquilegia chrysantha ‘Yellow Queen’) in the garden for few years now but never blooming this well.
Finally found a spot this columbine likes. Moderate shade and well drained soil seems to be the best place for it.
The Yellow Queen is quite tall but surprisingly survived the thunderstorm we had yesterday which was a surprise for me.
Must collect the seeds next month and plant more in the spring.
Columbine Olympia (Aquilegia ‘Olympia’) also called Lapland’s Aquilegia is always the one that blooms first. Way too earlier than the other aquilegias.
Even though it is a low growing variety it has big blooms and lots of them.
I only have this one plant and have been trying to grow more from the seeds but without success this far.
I usually grow my aquilegias from seed even though it takes two to three years from them to start blooming up here in the north.
With William Guiness (Aquilegia vulgaris ‘William Guiness’) I made an exception and bought a root ball.
The color of this aquilegia is very dark purple and it sort of needs a suitable background to stand out. The shape though is beautiful and stems tall.
Bordeaux Barlows (Aquilegia vulgaris var. stellata ‘Bordeaux Barlow’) is blooming nicely this year. Must try to grow more Aquilegias from the Barlow series.
I have managed to spend two weeks on the summer cottage by the lake and the weather has been great.
I sometimes wonder how much joy and happiness can a small lake bring to your life.
My mother’s parents and her grandparents have a small farm by the lake. The farm is as modest as it can be. My great grandparents established it and my grandparents and now my parents live there. After retiring they decided to move to the farm and be here by the lake.
As a child I spend all my summers with my grandparents while my parents were working. A whole summer taking care of the cows with my gramma and I guess it was her and my other grandmother who thought me my love to grow plants.
I cannot think having a better childhood.
My grandparents from my father’s side have a summer cottage on the other side of the lake. All the grandparents and all the family around the lake made all the difference.
The Blue Barlow (Aquilegia vulgaris var. stellata ‘Blue Barlow’) is doing well.
I have had a fair share of challenges trying to get it to grow but I think I have finally succeeded.
For the Barlow series we are a bit too north when it comes location and it is hard to get them flourish.
Columbine Olympia (Aquilegia ‘Olympia’) also called Lapland’s Aquilegia is used to short summers and is always the first one to bloom.
Originally got the seeds from Rovaniemi, in other words the variety is extremely hardy and can easily take the coldness.
The color is beautiful violet-yellow and the flowers are easily one of the largest ones when it comes to the columbines.
Gardening in the North 