Scrapbook image

Your scrapbook

Advertisement

Gardeners' World

Aquilegia vulgaris var. stellata 'Black Barlow' Granny's bonnet

Granny's bonnet Aquilegia vulgaris var. stellata 'Black Barlow', photo by Visions
,GAP Photos

Photo Gallery

 

  • Granny's bonnet Aquilegia vulgaris var. stellata 'Black Barlow', photo by Visions
,GAP Photos

Plant details

  • Common Name: Granny's bonnet
  • Genus: Aquilegia
  • Species: vulgaris var. stellata
  • Cultivar: 'Black Barlow'
  • Skill Level: beginner
  • Exposure: full sun, partial shade
  • Hardiness: hardy
  • Soil type: chalky/alkaline, clay/heavy, moist, well-drained/light
  • Height: 0.76m
  • Spread: 0.45m

Popular for its late spring and early summer dark plum-purple flowers, it makes a stronger show than the more well-known 'Nora Barlow' which has much paler, pinker colours. 'Black Barlow' makes an effective contrast with white alliums and white sweet rocket, and other aquilegias such as the purple and white 'Colorado' and the red and gold 'Kansas'. It likes moist but free-draining soil where it will self-seed prolifically. You can either collect the ripe black seed in the early autumn and sow it in pots in cold frames, or gently move the young self-sown plants in the garden to more favourable positions in the spring. It's possible to divide cultivars in the spring, but they sulk for quite a while until they have fully recovered.

Buy this plant

from Crocus

a to z GARDENERS' GLOSSARY

Need help understanding the plant details?
Browse the glossary

Comments and rating

Overall rating (from 1 ratings):

4 out of 5

4 out of 5

Leave a comment

Sign in to rate and add your comments to this feature.

Sign in | Register

Advertiser Links

Subscribe to the magazine

February edition of Gardeners' World Magazine

In February...
The February issue is on sale from 27 January. Subscribe today and receive the next three issues of Gardeners' World magazine for just £1.

The UK's number 1 gardening magazine

TV & Radio

Television icon

What's on this week

Find out what gardening programmes are on TV and radio this week. And read more about the Gardeners' World programme.

Offer

Planter

Pay £44.99 for a Felco pruning set.

© BBC Magazines Ltd. The Gardeners' World word mark and logo are trademarks of the BBC and are used under licence.