08/09/2026
- Aquilegia ‘Early Bird’ -
How to Plant & Care for It
This beautiful Columbine (Aquilegia vulgaris) produces gorgeous purple and white flowers and is a lovely addition to a garden or pot.
🌱 How to plant
•Sun: Full sun to partial shade. In very hot areas, give it morning sun and afternoon shade.
•Soil: Rich, loose and well-draining soil. Add compost before planting.
•Planting: Dig a hole slightly larger than the root ball. Place the plant at the same depth as it was in the nursery pot—don't bury the crown.
•Spacing: Allow about 30–40 cm between plants so they have room to bush out.
•Water: Water well after planting. Keep the soil slightly moist, especially while it establishes, but avoid constantly wet soil.
Feeding: Give it a balanced flowering fertiliser or compost during the growing season.
🌸 After flowering 🌸
Remove spent flowers to encourage more blooms. You can leave a few flowers to go to seed if you'd like it to self-seed naturally.
🌿 Tip: Aquilegia prefers its roots to stay cool, so a layer of mulch around the plant (without covering the crown) is very helpful.
Perfect for:
•pots
•borders
•cottage gardens and shady/part-shady spots where you want a splash of colour. 💜
