Columbines have always found a home in my garden. They are easy to start from seed and don’t ask for a lot once they get situated. I probably have thirty columbine plants in the garden right now, mostly in the memory garden, but also in the driveway bed and the Douglas fir bed.

My challenge with columbines has been that I grow mixes or choose varieties that end up not being my favorites. Breeders have focused more on flower power and unusual forms and less on gracefulness and the natural beauty of the plants.

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I’ve notice what looks like a mosaic virus on the existing columbines in the memory garden. I plan to root those out after they bloom and destroy them. Over time, I hope to replace all the hybrids with native columbine, Aquilegia formosa. I’ve got a bunch of seeds planted already in pots and I’m hoping to have transplants ready to go out this autumn.

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