Perennials - Columbine
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  (June) A single columbine plant, from three or four planted several years ago, has persevered and returned each year in an unlikely spot under an oak tree in my yard in Little Rock. This year, I have gathered the seed pods and would like, if possible, to propagate other plants. Can you tell me how to handle planting and growth?

  Columbine are often not long-lived perennials, but can reseed themselves even naturally for continued enjoyment. While they can come up naturally from the seeds left in the garden, if you plant many other flowers in these beds, save the seeds for a fall planting. Prepare the bed well, removing weeds and debris, then scatter the seeds in October. You should have an abundance of plants next spring. Not all plants bloom the first year from seed, but with fall sowing, it usually improves your odds.

  (June) I have a problem with one of my columbine. I have two different ones planted about 1 and 1/2 feet apart. One is taller with yellow blooms. It is doing okay, a little yellowing on the lower leaves, but still green (although looking a little spent) and flowering. The other one is a shorter plant with large pale lavender flowers. This is the second spring for it and it's leaves have turned completely brown.. This one's leaves started turning yellow at the ground also, but after being out of town last week and upon my return, it now looks dead. The last 3 flowers on it fell off this week. I was trying to remember, but thought it stayed green all last summer, blooming lightly on and off. They are planted under the overhang of our porch roof. The soil under the mulch seems to be sufficiently moist and I have been using Miracle Grow on them at about 14 day intervals since they started growing. I can not reason why the one suddenly took a turn for the worst. Would appreciate your help.

  Columbine is a cool season perennial, and not particularly long-lived. Usually we can expect it to survive in the garden for around three years. Some have them longer than that, but that is the average. They often begin to fade out in the summer as the temperatures increase. How quickly they fade is related to not only temperature but sunlight. The more sun, the faster they go. In milder summers, and in the shade, they have been known to linger all summer, but rarely will you see them thrive or bloom in the summer. Other years they are gone in June. They were growing in most central Arkansas landscapes by February this year, and if they bloomed late March or early April through May, they may be on their way out and will return again next spring.

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