Aquilegia vulgaris

‘Barlow Beauties’

BARLOW BEAUTIES COLUMBINES

Aquilegia vulgaris ‘Barlow Beauties’
BARLOW BEAUTIES COLUMBINES

Aquilegia vulgaris ‘Barlow Beauties’ is a mix of all the beautiful colours in the “Barlow” range of Columbines.

Quilled double Columbines in a jewel box of colours

All have quilled double “Columbine” flowers in a wide range of jewel colours and shadings.

Prolific & long blooming

These very fine double pom pom Columbines bloom prolifically from spring into summer.

Blooms in large, airy, branching heads

With the blooms held in large airy, branching heads.
Well above the compact clump of scalloped foliage.

Frost & heat hardy evergreen clump

Aquilegia vulgaris ‘Barlow Beauties’ grow as hardy, evergreen perennial clumps.
Established plants are frost and heat hardy, and also tolerate some dry once established.
They are an excellent choice for the dry-ish conditions underneath larger trees and shrubs.

Plant in Shade or Sun

Plant ‘Barlow Beauties’ in Shade to ½ Shade to Sun positions.
They are equally happy to grow under trees and shrubs or out in the open flower garden.

Charming cut flowers for florists

And also provide great cut flowers for filling vases with charming blooms.
The “Barlow” Columbines have been especially bred for commercial cut flower production.
So they are particularly long blooming, producing flowers with a good vase life.

Cutting for maximum vase & bouquet life

Flowers are best cut in the morning, before the sun or heat dries the plants too much.
Vase life can be further extended by searing the ends of the stems – this can be done with a brief flame (a match can be used) or by briefly dipping the ends into boiling water.
This stop the stems from blocking up with sap and allow them to take up water well.
Then condition the flowers by standing them in a deep bucket of cold water, before you use them in a bouquet or floral arrangement.

Thumb their noses to rabbits & deer

Rabbits and deer shun Aquilegia alpina, as they pass by to tastier fodder.

Friendly to many pollinators, bees & birds

Aquilegia flowers are rich in both pollen and nectar – so they serve a wide range of pollinators.
Honey bees and native bees both love foraging amongst the flowers, and are particularly attracted to the blue and purple varieties.
While moths and butterflies are also frequent visitors, with white and pale Aquilegias favourites for night flying moths.
Our small, native honey eating birds are also delighted to sip nectar whilst perched on the branching stems.

Hardy, evergreen perennial clump

Approx. 60cm. High in spectacular flower x 25cm. Wide of evergreen, pretty, ferny foliage.

SEED SOWING ADVICE:

Sow seeds of Aquilegia vulgaris ‘Barlow Beauties’ any time indoors in punnets, whenever suitable temperatures are available (15- 24°C).
OR
Scatter directly in garden in autumn and winter.
Aquilegias germinate easily in the garden after chilling by the cold of winter.

Indoors for quick plants: First sow the seeds on the surface of good quality seed raising mix.
Then barely cover the seeds with sieved mix.
Because these seeds need light to germinate.

Now thoroughly moisten the punnet by standing it in a shallow water bath.
And allow the moisture to percolate up to the surface of the mix from below.

Then place the sown punnet in a warm, well-lit position (not in any direct sunlight)

Temperatures of 15- 24°C approx. are ideal for rapid and optimum germination.

Continue to keep the mix consistently moist by misting from a spray water bottle.

Seedlings may begin emerging as soon as 10 days, but within 21-28 days.

However if there is no germination after 4 weeks it means the seeds are dormant and require a period of chilling.
So wrap the moist, sown punnet in cling-wrap and keep in fridge (not freezer) for 4-6 weeks.
Then return to a well lit position at 15-24°C for germination.
However do not discard the punnet as seeds will continue to germinate for a staggered period after the chilling – this is natural for Aquilegias, as they give their offspring the best chance of emerging when conditions are favourable.

Seed Count: 15 seeds per pack approx.
(We always aim to exceed the stated seed count and give a generous serve).

Who are the ‘Barlow Beauties’ named after?

Nora Barlow was the grand daughter of famed naturalist, scientist and thinker Charles Darwin.
But more importantly she was a pioneering geneticist in the field of botany in her own right, at a time when women were very thin on the ground in the sciences.
She studied botany at Cambridge University in the very early 1900’s and went on to research genetics in the world of flowering plants. Using Aquilegias in some of her hybridizing studies.
She did not breed the “Barlow” range of Aquilegias.
But instead was honoured by having the beautiful and unusual strain of Columbine ‘Nora Barlow’ named after her by Nurseryman Alan Bloom.
From the original ‘Nora Barlow’ (pink) Columbines, many other wonderful colours have been bred, but all with the unusual pom-pom form of the original ‘Nora Barlow’ flowers.
These are the beautiful “Barlow” strain of Columbines. Nora would have approved.
And what a woman – she bore 6 children, was an eminent scientist and author, and lived to 100!!!

Click here for Nursery Open Days & Open Gardens Information
https://www.gardivalia.com.au/open-gardens

Click here to go back to Seeds Shop
https://www.seedscape.net.au/shop/