Aquilegia, perhaps better known as Columbine was a wildflower that man has tamed to grace his garden. We have various colours in our patch, Pink, Yellow and Cream. But it is the Blue (with a Purple tinge) that is always the first to flower in our garden………
The Blue, apart from being the first to flower, is also the variety that ‘self seeds’ and appears in the most unlikely of locations in the garden. The Blue is also the variety that graces meadow and hedgerows in the wild. So I guess that is the answer to our mystery…the wild variety is much tougher and needs to survive under its own steam, so no surprise that it is the first colour to flower and appears to be the only colour of Columbine to self seed. Don’t misunderstand, I am not complaining, as whatever their colour, I welcome their presence in the garden. Even before they open as small tight buds with their tail fins and delicate steams they add colour and movement to the spring flower border…….
The sharp eyed amongst you will also have spotted that the aphids also love them.
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I have seen many springs come and go, and like many of you have commented that this year it has been so slow to arrive (if in fact it has?) though it does appear to be here. But I have never witnessed such a rapid explosion of green vegetation. The woodland floor is now just an ever expanding mass of foliage drowning the few remaining Bluebells and doing its best to hide the pathway…….
Out on the meadows the lush grasses are also growing as are the first crop of Buttercups, the yellow flowers wafting on the thin steams are a sure sign that summer is not far away….
Whilst that display of colour and new life is as nature intended, back in the garden it is the imported ‘exotic’ trees that are captivating us with their colourful leaf displays….
As the debate about native and none native trees continues, I for one am rather pleased that our forefathers chose to import these ‘decorative’ new’ species to grace our gardens and parklands.
Enjoy your spring where ever you are.
25th May
© David Oakes 2013
DAVID OAKES - IMAGES. 