Day 150: Aquilegia 'Barlow Series'

Daily details from the garden to bring you inspiration throughout the year

Aquilegia ‘Bordeaux Barlow’

Aquilegia ‘Bordeaux Barlow’

Double flowers are pants for pollinators, or so goes the accepted wisdom. The reasoning being they are “often” sterile, and so bother neither with nectar nor pollen production. A double-flowered aquilegia, such as those in the ‘Barlow’ series – the teddy-bears of the columbine family with their shaggy, friendly appearance and lack of typical columbine spurs – put the lie to this notion, producing as much seed as their single-flowered relatives. In addition, they flower earlier and last longer than the single varieties. Guilt-free doubles, as approved by bees.


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Hello! I’m Andrew, gardener, writer, photographer, and owner of a too-loud laugh, and I’m so pleased you’ve found your way to Gardens, weeds & words. You can read a more in-depth profile of me on the About page, or by clicking this image.