A few weeks ago, as we were getting ready to leave the summer house and return to the City, I decided to cut some of the deep blue aquilegias that grow between the paving stones in the courtyard. I know they’d bloom while I wasn’t there, so I figured the budding flowers would look nice in a vase in the apartment, and so they did.
The buds dutifully turned into flowers, and I was happy. It’s my favourite colour of aquilegia, but sadly we only have it in the courtyard where it is a weed, really, so I was so thrilled last week when I noticed seed heads starting to form; there must either have been some kind little fly that chose to pollinate these flowers, or else they were just shaken sufficiently when I have been airing out the apartment, because today they look like this:
The colour of the dried petals is a truer blue than the actual flower, which has a slightly purple tone
Of course there’s always a risk that the seeds won’t be true to type, but considering that I have no other colours of aquilegia in the apartment, I’m feeling confident that the seeds will produce the same lovely colour if I sow them out in the Ambitious Border.
So, this means that I have now used cut flowers and branches to propagate forsythia, dogwood and sedum so far, and with aquilegias in the making. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Free plants are the best!
Free plants are brilliant. I’ve got loads of aquilegias all over the garden. Some better colours than others. I do like how you never know what colour they’ll be, all a bit of a lottery.
Still, these can’t have been cross-pollinated, so there’s good hope they will be the same colour. Once in the border, though, they will probably intermingle with all the other colours (mainly a washed-out pink, sadly).
I love letting mine go to seed so I can scatter them…what a great color.
The big surprise was that they’ve been pollinated inside the apartment as cut flowers – and are setting seeds – but it will be great to get these seeds scattered in the Ambitious Border where I already have a somewhat ragged group of aquilegias.
You are very smart to get free plants! I have a few free plants in my garden, but I should try to get more. What a happy accident!
I love when plants decide they want to root or set seeds. I always take it as a bit of a compliment, relly; it must mean they are happy to be in my garden.
Aquilegias are so promiscuous….the slightest breath of air may suffice to pollinate. That’s a lovely blue – let’s hope the seedlings are true, though if you remember your genetics, you’ll realise there may be plenty of throwbacks
There are not too many aquilegias in the area where they grew, so there should be at least a chance that some of them will be true. (And even those who are not will be loved and find a space in my garden, of course.)
Also, here in Denmark the dark blue/purple seems the dominant colour for aquilegias when they naturalise on their own, so I’m hoping that gene will do its thing.
Great accident and you can’t beat free. I love true blue, even dried.
And the seed heads really are rather attractive in their own strange way…
(Also, I look forward to seeing what colours the seeds will produce; I think I have good odds for dark blue, but of course they could end up a washed-out pink.)
Fabulous shade of blue, I find its the dark shades like this that perform best in our garden.
That is a fabulous shade of blue. I hope they come true for you.
I often experience seedlings from my favorite plants popping up in just the wrong place each year. I kept hoping they would show up in more desirable locations, but this year, I shall be doing some seed saving too.
This is a wonderful blog. I am so glad to have come across it.
The flowers are actually slightly more purple in hue, but it is a very dark shade – and very lovely.
I’d just have moved the plants if I could, but that would mean taking up the paving stones in the courtyard, and that seems a bit much to do for the sake of two aquilegias…