Columbine

Columbine comes in a variety of flower colors, including pink. This old-fashioned plant sometimes self-sows from seed. After blooming is done, cut the spent flowers back. This can sometimes help reblooming later in the season.

Columbine (Aquilegia) is an old-fashioned favorite in the garden. Its airy, long-spurred blooms resemble a circle of perched doves. It ranges in height from six inches to three feet, depending on species or cultivar, and blooms mid-spring to early summer in an array of colors, including pink, yellow, white and even purple. With more than 70 species now available, there's certainly one to take some space in your garden. Hardy in USDA Zones 3 to 9.

Planting Columbine

This versatile perennial flourishes in full sun to partial shade and prefers a rich, well-draining soil. To plant, dig a hole as deep as your container and three times as wide. If roots are pot bound, clip or score them with pruners and loosen them with your hands before placing the plant in the hole and surrounding it with soil.

Once your columbine has been planted, keep it well watered. Once the blooms are spent, cut them back. If you're lucky, you might get a second flush of blooms later in the season.

Also in this Episode

Rebecca's Garden : Episode REB-725
•	Portable Pond
•	Soil Test How-to
•	Chartreuse Centerpiece
•	Coleus: A Plant That Adds Color All-Season Long
•	Columbine