Aquilegias, or Columbines as they are commonly sometimes known, are grown for their beautiful, spurred flowers that are produced during the summer. A hardy perennial, flowering naturally from April to July.

Site and soil preferences
Most prefer moist soil in dappled sun. If growing the alpine kind make sure there is excellent drainage.

Germination.
Sow April to July, cover seeds very lightly with vermiculite and expect germination within 2 - 3 weeks at 15 to 20 °C.

Aftercare
Feeding is unnecessary unless the soil is exceptionally poor. An aquilegia should not need staking, but an overfed plant will flop.

Disease
Aquilegias suffer from few problems. Mildew might be troublesome, particularly during dry years, as might sawfly and leaf miners. However, they're seldom life-threatening, especially if the plants are in reasonably moist soil and growing vigorously. If the leaves have been badly affected by the likes of sawfly, cut them back hard to ground level immediately after flowering. This encourages a new burst of foliage.