Native range: Central Europe, Alps and Apennines. Growing conditions: sun to part shade, meadows, rocky slopes. Height: 20-40 cm Hardy to zone: 3-4 Seed count/package: 35+ (cultivated) Aquilegia alpina, despite its name, is not a dwarf one and is very easy to grow and cultivate in all sorts of garden situations. The stems are laden with large blue flowers for weeks on end and will reward your effort; and so will the hummingbirds and bumblebees! It is not very long lived so leave a couple of seedlings around; that’s how we have kept ours for a few years now. One can only think of the many possible garden combinations: associate it with various Primulas, ferns, Iris sibirica, or like you see it in the image emerging from a golden Japanese forest grass! Don’t let all the flowers form capsules and the display will continue for a long, long time. Germination: easy; seeds need to be covered superficially. They germinate best after a short cold-moist stratification period (easily replaced by a GA3 treatment if you are in a hurry)
