Our Flower Gardens #7: Columbines and more...

Looking good.. We’d not had much luck with Columbines before, but are trying them again here…

Love the use of the mirror, btw.. :)

-- Planting Daylilies in Kentucky, zone 6b

Your Columbines are just beautiful and I like the Ethopian Barley. It has a very earthy look to it.

LOVE THE MIRROR!!! What a fantastic way of using it … may have to “steal that idea” if you don’t mind.

-- "A perfect garden is just a garden to be in-perfection. Mornings to work on it and evenings to pause and look at it." Southeast Michigan, Zone 5a/5b

My columbines are shaded from the south but get lots of “west” sun. I just planted a “black” columbine a week ago. Can’t wait to see what it looks like. Oh, and I didn’t post the pix of a dark purple one—it has already finished blooming.
Here it is:

The mirror: thanks :)
I went to a Value Village to find an old mirror and came home with a GORGEOUS mirror that is about 4 feet high and 2 feet wide with a sturdy white (painted) frame. The backing is plywood and Rick says it is an antique. Very cool.

A return trip to find a more appropriate mirror for the garden (the above mirror is waiting for a place of honour in the house)... came up with nothing except this one that I grabbed on the way out. It is a metal frame (perfect) and has the cactus/horse images on it. Only thing I have to change is the cardboard backing that holds the mirror in place. I didn’t have time to fix it prior to my son and family coming home so I just stuck it out in the garden and crossed my fingers.

The other day the one cat saw the mirror and took 10 full minutes to slowly approach the other cat in the garden! At one point she peeked around the edge of the mirror searching for the intruder!! What a great laugh we had, watching her.

GramT: steal away!!! :) I stole the idea from someone else—maybe a GardenTender??

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)

Pretty.
I miss my columbines,may end up as some of the medium height plantings along the fence.
I’ll have to look for a purple one, all I had was the red and the yellow.

-- the day you quit learning is the day you quit living.

Gorgeous Columbines!
When my kids were little they used to call it the “Alien Plant”<

Love the way you used the mirror!

-- Eklectic, Follow my Bliss, South East Ontario 5a

not sure how I got my first columbine but when it flowered I was in love and had to have more!! :)
I’ve also planted some at the back of my house (where Gabby lies). I have it protected by some lattice I had kicking around. I started them from seed this spring so it will be a while before I see flowers on them. Crossing my fingers that Gabby doesn’t squish them.

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)

Love the colour of your colombines MsD.I put some seed in this year but they are only 2” high.Maybe next year (lol).The sweet williams and the mirror are a nice touch.Looks good.

-- Bon,Hastings,Ont.....zone 5a....Always room for one more

mine that I planted this year are only a couple of inches high as well. Can’t wait til next year to see how they do!

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)

Those are really lovely pictures – I really like what you’ve done with the mirror in your garden. It contrasts well with all the plants around it. :)

thanks Courtney :)

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)