Columbine – No Green Thumb Required!

Sharing is caring!

Columbine Flower! Anyone can grow this! Even the Novice…Not Sure What a Shovel Looks like Gardener! No green thumb required!

Are you a gardener or wanna be gardener tired of settling for a dreary yard with no color except green, sometimes brown grass, over done boxwoods, and 20 year old monkey grass?

Do you want a nice, colorful yard with minimal effort and money? Are you embarrassed because your neighbors refer to your house as the “weed” house…and not the “fun” weed house! Well read on…there is an answer and it comes in all colors and no maintenance required!

Columbine has to be the very best plant for beginner gardeners, senior gardeners, or anyone that just don’t have a lot of time, money, or just want it to come back next year.

I have been gardening for a long time or “experimenting” as it sometimes seems and I don’t think I have ever enjoyed a plant more than I do Columbine! It’s kind of a “plug and play” plant…easy peasy!                                                                             

When we first started growing this beautiful plant I thought it was going to be a disaster. We usually have a major fail every year, sometimes one and sometimes a lot more than one but I was wrong?‍♀️.

This little perennial is about as easy-going as they come. With it being able to survive in the hottest climates (zone 9) and some of the coldest winters (cold hardy to zone 3), it’s just not a fussy plant.

Columbine is part of the buttercup family and considered a wild flower.

When it first starts to appear in the spring it looks like a big mound of clover. In fact, if you’re on your second growing season of this guy, you might think you have a clover invasion but be patient, your landscape will soon change. With the help of wind and birds in the fall, it will pop up in different places in the spring; free and easy plants, with no effort from you!

Columbines are very wind hardy:)

This gem of a plant is not fussy.

It doesn’t really need fertilizer if your garden beds are established. Huge amounts of water are not required unless you plant them in full sun and barren soil.

Columbines score really high on the friendly meter toward other plants in the garden, they’re spreaders but not in an invasive way. If overcrowding does occur, it’s super easy to dig up and transplant.

In really hot climates planting them in part shade is probably a good idea. As long as they get a couple of hours of sun they are good to grow.

Hummingbirds + Butterflies + Columbine = Love! Not only are Columbine beautiful, easy to grow, and perennials, they attract Hummingbirds and butterflies! Win, Win, Win!

One of the very few drawbacks to this wonderful smile giver is they don’t have a very long life span compared to other perennials. Maybe because they are so light and dainty…or because they are prolific re-seeders and don’t need to live long.

Also, they can be effected by leaf miners. These pests are really not life threatening to the plant but more of an annoyance. If you spot some small hole patterns on the leaves, inspect them for the pesty pests and squash them with your fingers. No pesticide required!

If you’re more of a structured gardener (which I am not) and like order in the yard then these little gems may not be for you.

Columbine like it a little wild with not a lot of rules.

That’s part of their charm. It’s wonderful and dainty looking and comes in all colors. The Columbine will bring a smile every time you see it and just knowing how reliable and easy going it is will make your gardening experience that much sweeter!

The right pink Columbine is a volunteer from last year!

If you need any ideas on getting started with easy, low maintenance gardening shoot me a message and I’d be thrilled to help!

As Always,

Elise

More easy gardening ideas from The Contractor’s Castle👇

Rosemary and Thyme are about the easiest herbs you can grow. They are extremely friendly to other garden plants and make you a better cook too!

I can’t say enough about sunflowers! They are like a plug and play plant. All you need is a sunny, well drained space for all summer smiles!

Whether you are a veggie gardener or a flower gardener or both…this easy build your own Trellis is a great addition to any backyard garden!

Love butterflies? Follow this link to the easiest way to attract backyard butterflies!

This post contains affiliate links and may result in a very small residual for this post!

;



Sharing is caring!