100+ Columbine Mckana's Giant Mix Flower Seeds-AQUILEGIA MCKANA- Beautiful Perennial-B141
Giant columbine (Aquilegia "Makana's Giant") brightens up spring gardens with its contrasting sepals and petals. This variety of the American native columbine shoots to 3 feet tall and produces 3-inch blossoms in light blue, yellow, pink, purple, red, white or midnight blue. Giant columbine is as tough as it is pretty, thriving in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 9. The plant also boasts attractive foliage, resembling maidenhair fern, and unusual nectar spurs that attract hummingbirds. Fill shallow planting containers, called flats, with sterilized seed-starting mix in mid-winter. Thoroughly moisten the material, then sprinkle the columbine seeds on the surface, covering lightly with more soil. Place the flats in plastic bags to assure humidity, and store in the refrigerator. After two or three weeks, remove the flats and sink them in soil in your yard. Be sure to choose a shady location.
Cover the flats with glass, creating a small greenhouse. Watch for seedlings to appear after 30 to 90 days. Select a spot in partial shade to transplant your seedlings. Assure that the soil is fertile, well-draining, slightly acidic, and moist without being wet. Choose a spot with other tall species so that the flowerless columbine stems will blend into other foliage when their short blooming season is over. Transplant the seedlings to the prepared ground as they appear, planting them 12 to 20 inches apart. They grow well no matter how small they are when you transplant them. Water the seedlings frequently but gently. Look for blossoms to appear during this hybrid's flowering season, April to May.
Deadhead after they bloom to get a second crop. Allow the final crop of giant columbines to go to seed if you wish more specimens in your garden. If not, deadhead each flower after it blooms Do not cut down the plants after flowering is over. Giant columbines are perennials and the stems will survive the winter and produce new flowers in the spring. Mulch around the plants with straw for winter. This keeps the plant warm in a cool climate and moist and fresh in a warmer one. Things You Will Need Planting flats Sterilized seed-starting mix Plastic bags Sheet of glass Tip If the foliage of your giant columbine gets attacked by leafminers, cut the plant to the ground in the autumn. The plants will regrow with favorable conditions. Warning These plants cross-pollinate freely. If you plant several varieties of columbine, a new hybrid may emerge from reseeding.
