I have been wittering on for years about the annoying aquilegia in our garden. How they elbow-out and bully their way around the garden. How they are sneaky, underhand and not to be trusted.
Today I sat on the bottom step, my delicate behind cushioned on my inflatable kneeler, potting on and pricking out. Either side of the step, and indeed in much of the rest of the garden, swayed the aforementioned reprobates, resplendent in all their deceptive finery. As I worked, the air hummed, as these wicked and selfish self-seeders fed a myriad pollinators, of all dimensions and persuasions.
I feel rather guilty now. A bit of a Moaning Minnie.
Off The Edge Gardening 
Just avoid the Barlows, particularly Nora. OTOH, they happily pop up everywhere without overwhelming the neighbours and you just have to remember to deadhead. And avoid gravel paths, like I didn’t, BTW.
The Minky series make much bushier, shorter, plants and, IME, are not prolific seeders. In fact, my buggers hardly ever set seed, dammit!
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We do have a narrow gravel edge here, where they are very happy, but they are not fussy. Top tip about the Barlows, I’ve got some clematiflora, which I am hoping will be better behaved. Also another one to feature soon ……. (dramatic pause)
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Nice bee photo there, making it all worth it
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I took a lot of blurred pictures, a lot!
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bees are very difficult to photograph so well done!
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How can anything that colour be annoying? And great photo of the bee!
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It is very pretty, they are all rather lovely, it is just they want to be everywhere!
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You lucky girl! I will carefully lift the seedlings from my gravel path and plant them back into the beds, glad you enjoyed them today, loved that bee.
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It was lovely out there in the sunshine and buzz.
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Aquilegia are lovely at this time of year and your photo of the bee is just brilliant.
I have been admiring my crop, especially a blue form which I brought down from Yorkshire. I originally bought Aquilegia alpina from Herterton House near Cambo in Northumberland in 2001. Wrapped in moist newspaper I took the little treasure home. It flourished in Yorkshire and its progeny flourish here.
I have just Googled Herterton House and see that TFG visited and wrote a blog in 2013 which is worth a read.
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He gets about! Alpina is a lovely one, really pretty, there are some lovely species ones!
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You know, I would be pleased to be able to grow columbine. I found one yesterday, where it grew from seed from some that did not last long. I am letting it do whatever it wants to do.
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Perhaps it will feature in a future SoS? Hope so!
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OH! I should have gotten a picture! Do I get bragging rights, even if I did not grow it?
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Of course!
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I got it for tomorrow at noon! I don’t know what time that would be there. Perhaps it would be 8:00 in the evening. Well, it is nothing all that special for those who can grow it anyway.
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