The
columbine in Victorian gardens, as now, was one of the
most beloved flowers. Requiring very little care, they
could flourish just about anywhere. Hibberd states that
a columbine should resemble a likeness in some way to
a dove or a pigeon ... in 'a roundabout' way.
The
common columbine was a British plant, generally found
in woods and coppices. When grown in the garden border
it scattered its seeds plentifully, and thus required
no particular care in propagation. By the 1880s the
double columbines were as popular as the singles and,
not producing any seed, were easier to control within
the garden situation.
The
columbines generally found in the Victorian garden were
Aquilegia glandulosa, A. caerulea, A. Skinneri,
A. truncata and A. Alpina.
In
late Victorian times the ranks of the columbines were
swelled with new varieties from Veitch and Son of Chelsea
who regularly offered their new varieties at meetings
of the Royal
Horticultural Society and Royal Botanic Societies.
