Dark Purple Columbine Seeds
The first year we moved in here at Chiot’s Run, I planted seeds for this dark purple columbine, it’s bloomed beautifully each year since. It seeds itself freely about the gardens, but not to the level of being invasive. I have little purple columbines that grow up all over the place, some where I want them, some where I don’t, like in the driveway. Mostly I don’t bother pulling them up, since columbine blooms so early in the spring I enjoy every plant I have.
Columbines set seed in these interesting little pods. They sound like little maracas when you touch the plant. They’re quite interesting, even when they’re no longer blooming.
On Sunday afternoon I spent some time cutting all the seed heads off of my dark purple columbine. I ended up with thousands upon thousands of seeds, way more than I need. I sprinkled some along the edges of the woods where I want to get them started and I saved a few for my mom. Since I have so many extra seeds, I figured I’d give some away. I have 5 packets of seeds available, so comment below and I’ll pick 5 winners.
Do you save seeds from your flowers from year to year?
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by mark mile, Susy Morris. Susy Morris said: Dark Purple #Columbine Seeds http://goo.gl/fb/cFPn9 #article #flowers […]
to Tweets that mention Dark Purple Columbine Seeds | Chiot’s Run — Topsy.com's comment
Yes, I would love to win some seed. I really have a hard time with columbine. Yours look so lovely. Thanks for the give away, even if I dont win
to carolyn's comment
I would love Columbine Seeds, I am working to reestablish native plants in my yard and garden and columbine seeds would be awesome.
You have done some great giveaways.
to Tree's comment
Wow, that’s a lot of seeds! I’ve never saved seeds myself, but I hope to as my garden becomes more established.
to Rue's comment
They are so beautiful! These would compliment the orange flowers in my front yard! I love reading your blog, by the way :) I have learned a lot from it!
to Lisa Anne of This Urban Homestead's comment
Columbine is one of my favorites. I limit myself to veggies for the most part, but I always have a few columbine going.
The only flower seeds I save are the hollyhocks. I grab the extra seeds and sprinkle them along the fence line of the driveway.
to Andrea's comment
I love columbines! I got some pink ones and red ones for the planter at the front of my house this year, but purple is my favorite color- maybe I can add to my collection!
I’ve been learning to save seeds. I think it’s amazing how many you can get from some plants!
to Shel's comment
I also would LOVE to attain some of these beautiful columbine seeds… I have my own [http://noizmaker.net/garden/g_008.jpg] but they’re all these harlequin mix… very nice in the front yard, but I do want to start up some new colors [like the dark purple/black ones… /melts] for a shaded side yard that I want to replicate as a forest floor… ferns’ and of the like. Purple lowers are just too lovely!
And with saving seeds, I do for seeds I know how to collect~ The common standards: Marigolds, Borage, Daylily, Columbines [very true about the maraca…], Jacob’s Ladder… But I mostly save for veggies. Mmm…
to Donna B.'s comment
I try to save as much seed as I can. It takes a little more time to get the results you want but it’s the cheapest, and to me, the most rewarding way to plant!
to Rhonda's comment
I would love a chance at some columbine – have not had any since the move 6 years ago! I miss this little beauty.
Thank you for the opportunity!
to Annette's comment
I love columbine!
Thanks,
G
P.s. What ever happened with the cider???
to Gregclimbs's comment
We haven’t done anything with it yet. We tried it a few months ago and it was good. You could definitely tell a difference between the wild yeast and the champagne yeast.
to Susy's comment
Please don’t pick me as I have millions already! But I just wanted to say is that I always think of them as grannyhoods. When I was 9, we moved into my granny’s house; she had died a year or so before and my dad had extended and renovated the house before we moved in. Much of her precious garden remained including these plants and when I asked my mum what they were, she said they were grannyhoods; the shape being like poke bonnets; I suppose that when these bonnets went out of fashion, only grannies wore them. But to my 9 year old mind, they were linked with my granny. Actually I also grow geraniums by the cartload as she did!
to Attia's comment
for the past 4 years or so I have saved the seeds from my cosmos, morning glory and bachlor button flowers. This year I hope to try doing some more with vegetable seeds.
to Rachel's comment
This year I saved the seeds from my bluebonnets. I didn’t want them to self seed because I want to move them. I ended up with about a cup of tiny seeds, I will be planting them in the fall in our “orchard.” I have a vision of a field of bluebonnets beneath the apple, pear, peach and plum trees. (which are, at this point, nothing much more than fruit sticks!)
I would love to win the seeds.
to Seren Dippity's comment
We’ve been in this house for 3 summers now – 1 was grass seed, 2 was beginner veggie garden seeds, and this summer the veggie garden is coming into it’s own nicely (I ate tomatoes this morning!). The one thing I struggle with is flower seeds. I’ve bought the wildflower packets and perennial flowers and just can’t seem to get any to come up! The only flower seeds that have created actual plants are morning glories and some 4 o’clocks (no blooms yet, but plants exist!). I’ve planted bulbs and live plants and had them do fine, I can grow vegetables like crazy, but flowers? Not yet. I’d love to save the seeds of flowers that I grow myself, if I can ever get to that point! :P
to Kelly's comment
Columbines are a favorite here……I had those dark purple ones but when we moved they didn’t move for some reason……I so enjoy your blog and it would be cool to share seeds with you……
to Amy's comment
Hi, I would love some seeds. Those flowers look a lot like the flowers at my in laws house, but theirs are yellow. They call them grandma’s weeds because when my husbands great-grandmother owned the property she had a garden near a rock wall and those flowers would spring up every year in her garden. And every year she would rip them out and throw them over the rock wall because she thought that they were weeds. So now they grow wild on the other side of the rock wall, I think they are quite pretty myself.
to Sarah's comment
It’s a very neat columbine! Ours are more of a lighter purple. That is a massive amount of seeds!
to Dave's comment
Last year was my first year to really start experimenting with saving flower seeds. Boy were the petunias a big success! I’ve been enjoying the surprise of saving some hybrid seeds and never knowing exactly what you’re gonna get until they bloom. I’ve never tried columbine before, but they are beautiful and I sure would love to give them a go! As a matter of fact, I’m going to google them right now so I’ll know exactly what to do with them if I’m lucky enough to win a packet. Thanks for the giveaway offer!
to Chris's comment
Have you thought of doing some graffiti gardening with the seeds? We’ve done it with some of our morning glory seeds. http://www.guerrillagardening.org/
to Michael's comment
I do sometimes sprinkle them along the edges of the woods around our home. I’m also taking some down to the family cabin to sprinkle around. I should carry some on my walks and sprinkle them along the woodland edges, that would be lovely.
to Susy's comment
As a heirloom gardener I do save seeds from all my veggies (except carrots, I order them from Seed Savers every year, funny since I do overwinter other biannuals…) Most of my annuals are self-seeding. This is my first year saving radish seeds, the pods look so strange! Martian pods…
Thank you for the chance to win! I love purple flowers.
to Jaspenelle's comment
I’d love to be included in your drawing. I’ve never grown Columbines – they’re lovely.
to Susan's comment
My favorite seeds to save from flowers would be my soft pink lupines. I love those plants. They have the most beautiful leaves, as well as their flowers. Your dark purple columbines would be a beautiful addition to my purple flower bed (as well as making a great story!). Thanks for the opportunity!
to Holley's comment
Pick me, pick me…I love columbine. They are so delicate looking. Growing up my mom and I worked together in the garden and I helped the “plant lady” across the street in her garden after my mom passed away. Both gardens had columbine, but not purple.
to Diane's comment
I was just thinking, “What a pretty and unique flower.” Count me in!
:-)
to Justin's comment
Thank you for the giveaway! I am so new to gardening I’ve honestly never heard of Columbines. They are absolutely lovely.
to Ashley's comment
I’d love to have some columbine seeds. I planted 2 columbines earlier this year (one was a mother’s day gift from my mom) and our two great pyreneese puppies decided to dig them up and destroy them. Now, I have built a little white fence around my flower plot to keep them out. But, I don’t have any more columbine. sad story..
to Sarah H's comment
I would love some columbine seeds. My columbine didn’t make survive transplantation from my old house to my new house.
to Katie's comment
I ‘save’ forget-me-not seeds. As they go to seed, I pick them and scatter them in the back of our yard underneath our cedar trees. I would love to add some columbine to the mix!
to Kendra @ A Sonoma Garden's comment
That color is gorgeous – I’d love some seed! And yes, I save seed from lots of flowers… marigolds, calendula, bachelor buttons, petunias, some unique cross-bred daisies, columbine, lupin…anything that seeds, I save & give it a try the next year. That’s part of the fun of gardening, isn’t it?!
to prairiechick's comment
Do they thrive anywhere in the country? Now that Lucy is well she could pick the lucky recipients with Dexter watching carefully to keep it all fair and square. :)
to lee's comment
Would columbine grow in Southern CA? The flowers look great on your blog.
to Tommy's comment
We do save seeds – especially for the plants we need to fill in more spaces in the gardens. Columbine does really well in our zone! What a gorgeous rich color!
to Heather's comment
I just started reading your blog, and I love it! I’m getting lots of great gardening tips!
I just planted a columbine plant (yes, just one. It was all I could afford!) that’s a lighter purple than yours with white centers. I never thought about saving the seeds, but now I’m going to do that and get more plants established next year! But I would love some of your seeds. I’ve never seen that color before.
to Kaytee's comment
I haven’t intentionally saved seeds. My marigolds grow merrily along by spreading their seeds about the garden. Nasturtiums do the same. I need to get better about saving seeds. Thanks for the reminder.
to MAYBELLINE's comment
I always save nasturtiums and marigolds. This year I sowed calendula so I’ll be saving that…and also seeds from my cosmos (which I sowed this stpring as well. We’ll start there. I love columbine…but don’t have any…yet. :)
to Debbie's comment
What a lovely purple Columbine. I have Sitka and Colorado columbines in my garden and would love to have some dark purple ones. I save seeds from most of my flowers from year to year and could send you some of my columbine seeds in trade.
to Mary's comment
I haven’t really saved many seeds from flowers. I have saved some from pumpkins and peppers before.
those are beautiful columbines..
blessings
~*~
to Laura's comment
Wow! I hope one day I will be collecting my own seeds as well as you. I am using this book http://www.chelseagreen.com/bookstore/item/seed_to_seed/ as my guide and your work a source of inspiration. Thank you.
to Ryan's comment
I just found your blog, AND I just learned what columbine were a few months ago. I found a red one, I have never seen a purple one! Thanks for showing these great pictures and for saving those beautiful seeds.
to Andrea's comment
Ooh, I love Columbines! I’ve been trying to grow one in a pot for several years now, but it hasn’t flowered yet. My neighbors have some dark purple ones flowering around their mailbox that they didn’t even plant! Lucky! :)
I follow you on Google Reader & in Flickr. Love the blog!
to Renee's comment
What beautiful plants. I saved some pansy seed from some plug plants that I bought for our baskets a few years ago. I just sowed them this year, and have pots and pots of lovely trailing pansies enlivening our “building site” with a little promise of the garden to come!
to hillwards's comment
What a beautiful columbine! I love columbines, but I have never seen an all purple one. Please enter my name in the drawing! Blessings from Kansas! Gail
to Gail's comment
I’d love some!!!
to Whitney's comment
Pick me Pick me! (is it too late to comment?)
to Maureen's comment
I would love to win these columbine seed one b/c i i’ve never grown them befor but love plants that make lot of seeds cause we have soooo!! much room to fill in so far one of my fav. is cosmos because hey come back so well and in such numbers but anyway i would loe to grow some columbine
im alway open to new plants
to Daniel Trepanier's comment
i would love to try this pretty flower im always open to growing new thing i love plants that are prolific so it takes up more space which we have alot of lol
to Daniel Trepanier's comment
oh i didnt think my comment went throgh sorry im just getting use it this wordpress
to Daniel Trepanier's comment
I save seeds from all my plants, flower and vegetable. I grow heirloom tomatoes, cucumbers and squash from my own saved seed each year.
The only way to be truely organic is to use organic or heirloom seed that has not been genetically modified. It also saves our dissappearing vegetable varieties and keeps a more diversified gene pool.
to Sheryl at Providence Acres Farm's comment
[…] finally picked the winners for the Free Purple Columbine seeds contest. Lee really wanted Lucy to pick the numbers so I thought and thought until I came up with a great […]
to And the Winner Is… | Chiot’s Run's comment
Dark purple columbine
sure look fine.
Mine are all yellow,
and sure look mellow.
A touch of yellow,
A touch of purple
A touch of sun
And we are done
to Errol Hebert's comment