One of the things I love about my garden
is shade.
I haven’t always had shade.
But this garden has several areas.
It’s not the deep woodland shade
but rather “partial or dappled shade”.
This means that sometime during the day
a litttle sushine comes through.
The best is morning sun.
The problem with shade is color.
It’s hard to come by on a consistent basis.
Most perennials that bloom in the shade
bloom in the early spring.
Leaving many months in need of a color boost.
But I’m getting ahead of myself.
Columbine loves dappled shade.
It’s happiest in cool mountain air.
Making it a natural for the state flower of Colorado.
But it also likes living on the Great Plains.
As long as you give it some shade for part of the day.
I’ve grown it both from seed and plants.
Originally I got it started from plants in 3″ pots.
Like most perennials it takes a few year for them to get established.
I didn’t pick any blooms the first few years
That let them go to seed
and make babies.
Then I read that the more you cut the blooms
The more the plant blooms.
So I began to cut these dancing blossoms.
Then near the end of season
I let them go to seed.
After the seed pods dry on the plant
I pick them and crush them
in areas that I would like to have more Columbine.
So far it seems to be working.
Ah Spring!
Gail
In My Garden 