Aquilegia vulgaris var. stellata

‘Ruby Port’

RUBY GRANNY BONNETS

Aquilegia vulgaris var. stellata ‘Ruby Port’
RUBY GRANNY BONNETS

Aquilegia vulgaris var. stellata ‘Ruby Port’ is the darling of garden designers – because it is so tough and hardy, while so charmingly pretty.

Pom pom doubles of deep ruby port wine

It has pom pom doubles of velvety, deep ruby-port wine colour.
Made up of layers of frilled petals.
Sprays of gorgeous coloured blooms borne of red stems.

Tough old heirloom variety

Dear old ‘Ruby Port’ has been a garden stalwart for centuries.
At least since the 1600’s, when it began appearing in garden writings.
And it has never fallen from favour since – because of its tough constitution; ability to survive hardships; rich colour and sheer charm.

Dainty & charming

Aquilegias give an old world charm to the garden. So they are commonly called Columbines or Granny’s Bonnets.

But tough as old boots

But do not let the dainty appearance fool you, because this is a hardy and tough old survivor.
And once settled in – your Aquilegia vulgaris var. stellata ‘Ruby Port’ should self-sow babies each year.
To create drifts of plants under the trees and shrubs with little further help from you.

Branching sprays of profuse blooms

‘Ruby Port’ Granny Bonnets blooms profusely during spring and early summer, with large branching sprays of dainty blooms. 

Water-wise & resilient

And it is such an easy growing, unfussy plant.
So you can plant ‘Ruby Port’ in a wide variety of positions, from Full Sun, to Partial Shade, and in Full Shade too.
Plus it is a water-wise and resilient plant once established, and easy, low care.

Colour in dull shaded areas

And with it’s velvety, rich port-wine colouring – it is the perfect choice to light up dull shaded areas under trees and shrubs.

Pretty evergreen foliage

Aquilegia vulgaris var. stellata ‘Ruby Port’ is also a beautiful foliage plant year round.
Fresh young leaves have a ruby flush that contrasts nicely with the rounded mound of blue-green foliage. 

Frost hardy evergreen perennial

Aquilegia vulgaris var. stellata ‘Ruby Port’ is a frost hardy, evergreen perennial plant.
And it will also supply new babies each year by self-sowing in the garden and creating graceful drifts.
These little volunteers are easy to transplant to new areas, share with friends, or weed out if surplus to requirements.

Rabbit & deer resistant

Aquilegias have a bitter taste, so rabbits and deer are unlikely to attack them.
The pests prefer to pass by on their way to the carrot patch.

SEED SOWING ADVICE:

Aquilegia vulgaris var. stellata ‘Ruby Port’ seed can be sown indoors at any time.
OR
Scattered directly in the garden during autumn or early spring.

Sow indoors for quick plants: First sow the seed onto the surface of good quality seed raising mix, in a punnet or pot.
Now pat gently to ensure the seeds have good contact with the surface.
Then barely cover with sieved mix / washed sand / or fine grit to a depth no more than the diameter of the seed.
Because these seeds need light to germinate – so do not bury deeply.

Now thoroughly moisten the sown punnet by standing it in a shallow water bath.
So the moisture percolates through to the surface of the mix from below.

Then place the moist, sown punnet in a warm, well lit position (light helps germination of these seeds). But do not place in direct sunlight.
You can use a heat mat to speed germination if you have one, but it is not essential.

Temperatures of 15-20 degrees C. are best for rapid and optimum germination.

Seeds germinate in 2 to 4 weeks approx.

(If seeds are shy to germinate – cling-wrap the moist sown punnet and place in the fridge for 4-6 weeks to mimic the cold of winter.
Then return to the warm, well-lit position (but not in any direct sunlight) for germination.

Then transplant seedlings into small pots until large enough to plant out in the garden.

If sown directly into ground seed may not germinate until its dormancy is broken by a period of chilling (Winter) so late autumn or late winter sowings are most successful.

Seed Count: 20 seeds per pack approx.
(We always aim to exceed the stated seed count, and give a generous serve).

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