Aquilegia vulgaris 'Nivea'
Oriental columbine, granny's bonnet (syn Munstead White)
Mounds of divided, pale green leaves are topped with upright, branching stems bearing nodding, short-spurred, pure white flowers in early summer. Aquilegia vulgaris ‘Nivea’ is a pretty columbine, and looks wonderful when planted in drifts in a cottage garden themed display. This ‘granny’s bonnet’ will happily self-seed to form generous clumps alongside other early summer perennials such as Paeonia, Digitalis, and Allium.
How to care for Aquilegia vulgaris Nivea:
Plant Aquilegia in sun or partial shade in moist but well-drained soil. It's tolerant of a range of soil types and will often self-seed if happy, creating natural-looking drifts.
Remove faded flower stems to tidy the plant or leave them to self-seed.
Lift and divide large clumps in early spring and apply a generous 5-7cm (2-3in) mulch of well-rotted manure or garden compost around the plant. Divided specimens may take some time to establish since they don't like having their roots disturbed. Deadhead to prolong flowering.
Remove faded flower stems to tidy the plant or leave them to self-seed.
Lift and divide large clumps in early spring and apply a generous 5-7cm (2-3in) mulch of well-rotted manure or garden compost around the plant. Divided specimens may take some time to establish since they don't like having their roots disturbed. Deadhead to prolong flowering.
Sowing instructions:
In autumn, surface-sow on moist compost in small pots or seed trays and keep them in a greenhouse or cold frame at 15-20°C (59-68°F). Germination can be slow (up to 3 months) but seedlings should be thinned out as they grow on and over-wintered under glass before planting out after hardening off in spring. Alternatively, spring sowing can be undertaken as before, often without the need for heat.
Flowering period:
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Eventual height:
0.8m
Eventual spread:
0.5m
Position:
Full sun / light shade
Rate of growth:
Average
Soil:
Moderately fertile, moist, well-drained soil
Hardiness:
Fully hardy
-
This perennial dies back to below ground level each year in autumn, then fresh new growth appears again in spring.
9cm pot
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3 × 9cm pots
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6 × 9cm pots
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approx 70 seeds
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