With the May rains came the columbine invasion. It happens every spring, and you never know where they will pop up next, but this year they have excelled themselves and are everywhere: over the back fence in the guerrilla garden, in the front bed beside the main road, in the paving outside the kitchen door, along the top terrace. And in all shades. They are very promiscuous. I’ve also grown some species aquilegias from seed, and this year they are flowering for the first time. I’m now wondering if they will ‘co-mingle’ with the local wild bunch and produce even more lovely shapes and shades.
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Now meet the cultivated bunch: the first three grown from seed from an aquilegia specialist grower, and the last one a plant ‘rescued’ from an abandoned allotment plot. The yellow varieties seem to gently flower all through the summer.
Tish Farrell 
So beautiful – and what a range of colours!
Aquilegia, as I call them, are one of my favourite flowers. So delicate and pretty, but determined in their ability to grow in the most unpromising of places, and strong in their ability to self propagate, wherever the fancy takes them…
I think of them as stunning ballerinas, dressed in their choice of colours, and performing where they wish, bringing smiles and dainty elegance with them. 🙂
They do indeed have good dancing ‘frocks’, Emma. And yes, their determination to reproduce and in unlikely spots seems to know no bounds.
What lovely flowers!
What a nice idea to ‘rescue’ a plant. Never thought of it quite that way. 🙂
Well there was a bit of vested interest, Prashant. I thought it would look much better in my garden. And of course it might have been overcome by weediness if left at the allotment 🙂
Beautiful.. Must be pleasant to sit among them.
It is, Beverly. Though I have to say I’m mostly walking past them at the moment – to and from the allotment. More sitting down would be a good idea now you mention it.
Wow, so many pretty shades! The ‘wild’ ones are all lovely but I especially like the first of your cultivated ones, in that deep shade of purple – so striking!
Yes the purple one is quite something. It certainly surprised me 🙂
Wow !! what a treat !!!
Such beautiful wild flowers blossoming all of a sudden ….
What a great variety ? I think your place is just special …
Thank you so much for sharing, Tish 🙂
Thank you, Sreejith. I’m making the most of the present invasion. It won’t last long.
Just a gorgeous profusion of columbines! What lovely shots!
Thank you, Dora.
Oh what a gorgeous post for flowers this week. I love your columbines 😀
So happy to bring you lots of columbines, Cee 🙂
Gorgeous flowers, always have a place in my garden for them.
They are so sprightly. Always good for a smile.
Oh so beautiful. One of my favourite flowers. Lovely photos Tish.
Alison
Happy to bring favourites 🙂
oh how marvellous, and you have so many different colours too. Mine have done less well this year, perhaps all my seeds came your way!
I have a couple of wild ones that have popped up from who knows where, and some bought ones. They are lovely dancing away in the breeze. You have some beauties there!
I’m very much enjoying them, though I think they’ll soon be going seed in the heat. Which means – more next year! Might be too much of a good thing.
They all look so cheery. 😀
They do!
😀
While I’m here, I’ve just posted another 17th century will transcription which I think will strike a chord with you.
Why do mine always have a million blackfly on and yours look so beautiful?!
I think I might have a few greenflies on mine. Blackfly seem to be much about timing. I’m expecting them shortly on my broad beans. Must pinch out the growing points.
Lovely images.