COLUMBINE. 95 



COLUMBINE. 



(AQUILEGIA.) 



" Yes, lovely flower, I find in thee 



Wild sweetness which no words express, 

 And charms in thy simplicity, 

 That dwell not in the pride of dress." 



This splendid deciduous herbaceous plant is a perennial, 

 and bears flowers of innumerable colors from May to July ; 

 it is a native of this country and Siberia. Its habit is ex- 

 tremely graceful, growing about two feet high, throwing 

 its flowers well up above the foliage, which is covered 

 with a viscid down, the spurs of the flowers incurved, giv- 

 ing them a very interesting appearance. This plant, from 

 its easy culture, has established a merit possessed but by 

 few border flowers. The seeds should be sown as soon as 

 ripe, or early in the spring, in any common garden soil, and 

 transplanted in September. The flowers are well calcula- 

 ted for bouquets in their season, on account of their grace 

 and beauty. This plant is sometimes propagated by divid- 

 ing the roots in the spring, which often kills them, a plan 

 not advisable with a good flower. The Columbine sports, 

 and therefore produces, a great variety of colors ; the single 

 variety is not worth garden room ; the second season is 

 considered the best for flowering, being more abundant than 

 any other year. When these plants are grown, innumer- 

 able seedlings will spring up from the scattered seeds, 

 which should be transplanted as directed. 



