How To Sow Aquilegia Seeds / Columbine / Granny's Bonnets

Today I am sowing Aquilegia seeds (also known as Columbine and Granny's Bonnets) and I will take you through the steps for successful germination.
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Thank you so much for joining me and watching - see you all next time.
You can find me on Facebook @Cottoverdi and Instagram @Cottoverdi

[@kated3165]

I love plant oddities, so these fancy little weirdos def have become a favorite of mine! Love that its one of those few flowers that will grow nicely in the shady forest area of our terrain.

[@cottoverdi]

Yes, they are so intriguing!

[@TheKatenye]

I love aquilegia as well I have a big collection too

[@cottoverdi]

Gosh, I do love them - so pretty and they flower so early in the season but my sowings we're all successful unfortunately but I will definitely try again with those that failed this time round.

[@cathysandercock8675]

Thank you for your informative video and for showing our Canadian Columbine! This is my first time growing from seed. One variety you may want to try are Columbine Origami that have a lovely unique shape as well.🇨🇦

[@cottoverdi]

Glad it was helpful!

[@worldnaturalbeauty]

I enjoyed watching friend. God bless you always

[@cottoverdi]

Thank you very much!

[@joydeeproy1580]

why would i plant this annual? it dies out every summer.

[@cottoverdi]

I'm not sure I understand your question. Aquilegia are generally hardy perennials. They will flower for many years. I sow seeds so that I can have lots of different varieties and it's much more economical than buying individual plants.

[@marcusseidel6824]

Aquilegia is also good for winter sowing, ever tried ?

[@cottoverdi]

Oh, that's good to know for the future and does make sense since they grow well in the spring if they are self-seeded. Thanks Marcus.

[@marcusseidel6824]

@@cottoverdi Where can you find all those noce varieties of seeds ? I live in Belgium. I know to buy in UK is difficult due to brexit.

[@cottoverdi]

Hi, I buy many of my seeds from Chiltern Seeds but there are other places too - try searching online for Aquilegia SEEDS in Belgium and see who pops up.

[@worldnaturalbeauty]

good work

[@cottoverdi]

Thanks for the visit

[@TheVintageGardenerNJ]

I would like to try some. I think I’m going to winter sow them in January.

[@cottoverdi]

Fabulous. I love growing from seed. Winter sowing is a great idea. Good luck.

[@safisadula1625]

​@@donnashaw3204hello,I have seeds think to sow them but don't know in pots or directly in the garden

[@cottoverdi]

You can try both - the benefit of post is that it's easier to protect the seedlings from slugs and snails

[@groundworkcivils7506]

So much different advice... Seeds in the fridge, in damp paper.. Not on paper - alternate between fridge n freezer for 1 week.. 3 months

[@cottoverdi]

Confusing, isn't it!

[@groundworkcivils7506]

@@cottoverdi yes very 😜... Iv got 400 seeds altogether.. so il split them 4 ways and do 4 different methods

[@KishorTwist]

I tried using the wet cloth to pregerminate columbine seeds but it didn’t work. Either I didn’t wait long enough or it needed stratification (ugh).

[@cottoverdi]

So sorry to hear you had problems with germination - I've not tried the method with Aquilegia.

[@KishorTwist]

@@cottoverdi Shame not all seeds easily germinate using a wet cloth or paper towel like say, sunflower ones! While visiting a nursery last spring, I was blown away that it sold columbines! I did buy one hoping I’d get flowers but nah, only leaves, probably too late and hopefully for spring 2024. That was my cool columbine story!

[@cottoverdi]

@@KishorTwist Yes, they should definitely bloom next spring.

[@wjs5773]

Hello Annette this was really helpful as I have never grown any seed except pot marigold and that really is for idiots like me. What I am struggling with is that if I do grow aquilegia and they sprout and become seedling by ( say ) October , what do I do next with the seedlings ? Surely if I plant them in the ground the slugs will get them ?

[@cottoverdi]

Hi there, I don't find that the slugs go for my Aquilegia - not sure why not. If you have a cold frame or a mini greenhouse, you could keep them in there over the winter (they won't grow much during the winter months anyway). Otherwise, I have found that keeping them outside on something raised, like an old pallet, usually works, although you will need to be vigilant with your checking at least once a week and pick off any that you see. Personally, if my seedlings are big enough, I will plant them out. Hope this helps?

[@wjs5773]

@@cottoverdi thank you Annette. I have only recently taken up gardening and never thought of owning a cold frame or mini greenhouse. I will try to think again on that ( maybe Amazon will be my friend !)

[@ishanighosh304]

Where can I buy these varieties of columbine?

[@cottoverdi]

Hi, Not sure which country you live in but I buy a lot of my seeds online. I find that the more unusual varieties are available from websites whereas the garden centres tend to just stock the 'normal' ones.

[@ishanighosh304]

I am in Seattle, Washington.

[@ishanighosh304]

Can you please share a particular website that's reputable?

[@cottoverdi]

I live in UK and buy the vast majority of my seeds from Chiltern Seeds

[@cathysandercock8675]

Thank you for your informative video and for showing our Canadian Columbine! This is my first time growing from seed. One variety you may want to try are Columbine Origami that have a lovely unique shape as well.🇨🇦

[@cottoverdi]

Hi Cathy, We love Canada and so it was an absolute 'must have' to grow the Canadian Columbine! Origami looks beautiful too - I will keep a look out for the seeds, thank you for the suggestion. 🌱🌺

[@yvonnejohnson1004]

Hi Cathy, I’ve just ordered some beautiful blue and white seeds. Could I put them in the packet into the fridge and then sow them in August? I have a lot of Aquilegias of different colours growing in my garden. I didn’t plant them but I assume that the birds gave them to me, they give me many foxgloves and double pink poppies too. Thank you for the video, it’s very informative.

[@cathysandercock8675]

@@yvonnejohnson1004 absolutely you can plant in Fall. Just chill the seeds for a month and plant away.😊