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What is this plant and what do I do now the stems are falling over?

Renata BoyleRenata Boyle Posts: 74
in Plants

Hi

Would love to know what this plant is - will post two photo's below, first one shows the plant when it began to flower and was upright & perky, it has flowered for ages now and is a real bee magnet, the second photo I've just taken today and the plant stems are nearly horizontal now .... what should I do (if anything) at this stage as they are falling over everything else in that raised bed ...

image

 now they look like this ...

image

 Many thanks for any advice - Ren

Posts

  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,349

    You can cut them right back if you like, they'll make new leaves and flower again next year. Or you could leave one to set seed if you want more. 

    It's an aquilegia



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • BiljeBilje Posts: 770
    They do tend to fall over.

    The really do self seed well, I have loads now. My latest plan is to chop the seed heads off. If I've time I take them down to soil level and they sprout away tidily again although they don't give another show of flowers til next spring. If you do want more plants let a few stems self seed or collect the seed when the pods go brown and sow them straight away in a pot or tray.
  • Renata BoyleRenata Boyle Posts: 74

    THANK YOU so much - it's brilliant being able to get straightforward answers in here, can now rename my photo's and make notes as to what to do with my newly named aquilegia.  I was stunned to see such a mass of flowers, think I might cut a few back and leave a few to 'self seed' - just wondering though, what is a 'pod' and how can I identify one?

    (yes, I am very new to this game so will be asking a lot of stupid questions) x

  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,349

    The upright green bits that follow on from the flowers darken to brown/yellow, open up and it you tip them up the seeds fall out. They are ripe. You can either sow them straight away and the germinate quickly or keep them til about mid-winter and sow them and leave them in a cold place, (outside or cold greenhouse) No heat required. Or just let them seed themselves around the garden



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 86,869

    Here's some pictures and info on collecting aquilegia seeds http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.co.uk/2010/10/how-to-collect-columbine-flower-seeds.html

    Hope that helps image

     


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • LoganLogan Posts: 2,532
    Yes I agree but don't let too many set seed or you will have them very where, last year I didn't cut mine down and that's what happened.
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