Tuesday, June 15, 2010

SPRING AND THE COLUMBINES HAVE FINALLY ARRIVED


Spring arrived late this year to the Green Springs but due to all the rain the Columbines are blooming the like crazy.  Columbines have always been my favorite flower and the huge Rocky Mountain Blue Columbine which is the state flower of Colorado is my favorite. It was there that I first discovered the Columbine 30 years ago. They come in many different colors and sizes. I love them for their beauty and also because they  bring my favorite bird, the hummingbird to my windows. Red Columbine,  Aquilegia canadense, is especially valuable in a hummingbird garden because it blooms just when Rufous Hummingbirds are beginning to return from their wintering grounds. Feeding hummingbirds must hover directly beneath the Columbine flower, aiming their beaks straight upward to sample the nectar.  I have actually tasted the nectar and it is delicious.