Carrie Thomas: Obsessed by aquilegias especially doubles with yellow.

Discussion in 'New Members Introduction' started by Carrie Thomas, Jul 7, 2012.

Page 1 of 2
  1. Carrie Thomas

    Carrie Thomas Apprentice Gardener

    Joined:
    Jul 7, 2012
    Messages:
    14
    Gender:
    Female
    Occupation:
    Selling plants & seeds, Aquilegia specialist
    Location:
    Swansea, South Wales
    Ratings:
    +25
    Hello, I'm Carrie Thomas, a keen plantswoman with an interest in unusual and rare gardenworthy plants, as well as cottage garden favourites. I especially enjoy growing from seed, sowing several hundred types each year as I'm awed by the miraculous process of germination.


    In particular I love aquilegias (granny bonnets/ columbines), and I have the National Plant Collection®of Aquilegia vulgaris cultivars here in Swansea; comprising not only singles but all forms of doubles, bicolours and scented forms.
    In recognition of the incredible red and yellow doubles that are being created here, Plant Heritage (was NCCPG) granted Plant Collection status in Autumn 2009 for 'Aquilegia hybrids'(adding to the existing 'Aquilegia vulgaris cultivars'). Come and see them, I'm sure you'll be wowed! They flower a little later than the A. vulgaris cultivars, so extending the season. There's doubles in yellow, red & yellow, pink & yellow, 'black' & yellow, and finally in 2012 I now have purple & yellow. Blue & yellow doubles are proving elusive.............
     
    • Like Like x 1
      Carrie Thomas, Jul 7, 2012
      #1 Quote in Conversation
    • shiney

      shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

      Joined:
      Jul 3, 2006
      Messages:
      63,470
      Gender:
      Male
      Occupation:
      Retired - Last Century!!!
      Location:
      Herts/Essex border. Zone 8b
      Ratings:
      +123,751
      • Like Like x 1
        shiney, Jul 7, 2012
        #2 Quote in Conversation
      • Lolimac

        Lolimac Guest

        Ratings:
        +0
        Hello Carrie and welcome to GC:dbgrtmb:
         
        Lolimac, Jul 7, 2012
        #3 Quote in Conversation
      • Carrie Thomas

        Carrie Thomas Apprentice Gardener

        Joined:
        Jul 7, 2012
        Messages:
        14
        Gender:
        Female
        Occupation:
        Selling plants & seeds, Aquilegia specialist
        Location:
        Swansea, South Wales
        Ratings:
        +25
        Thanks Shiney....someone else mentioned gardeners corner on facebook and yup, I finally got here myself! Glad you remembered me!
         
        Carrie Thomas, Jul 7, 2012
        #4 Quote in Conversation
      • joolz68

        joolz68 Total Gardener

        Joined:
        May 16, 2011
        Messages:
        4,428
        Gender:
        Female
        Location:
        alfreton uk
        Ratings:
        +5,386
        Welcome back:) I had some lovely aquilegia flowers from the seeds i purchased from you last yr carrie :ThankYou:..it was probably shineys thread that lead to to touchwood :blue thumb:
        [​IMG]
        [​IMG]
        [​IMG]://i829.photobucket.com/albums/zz215/joolz68/aqueligias/DSC_0035.jpg[/IMG]
        [​IMG]
        [​IMG]
         
        • Like Like x 1
          joolz68, Jul 7, 2012
          #5 Quote in Conversation
        • Penny in Ontario

          Penny in Ontario Total Gardener

          Joined:
          Sep 7, 2006
          Messages:
          6,233
          Gender:
          Female
          Occupation:
          Work for my husband.
          Location:
          Ontario, Canada
          Ratings:
          +1,668
          [​IMG]
           
          • Like Like x 1
            Penny in Ontario, Jul 8, 2012
            #6 Quote in Conversation
          • Carrie Thomas

            Carrie Thomas Apprentice Gardener

            Joined:
            Jul 7, 2012
            Messages:
            14
            Gender:
            Female
            Occupation:
            Selling plants & seeds, Aquilegia specialist
            Location:
            Swansea, South Wales
            Ratings:
            +25
            Like the wide range that you got from my Seeds Joolz, especially the 2nd pic with a lovely light pink and creamy double (perhaps the creaminess fades to white as it ages). The next generations should give you even more variation, I just love that there's never any end to what the aquilegia genes can combine and produce!
             
            • Like Like x 2
              Carrie Thomas, Jul 8, 2012
              #7 Quote in Conversation
            • shiney

              shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

              Joined:
              Jul 3, 2006
              Messages:
              63,470
              Gender:
              Male
              Occupation:
              Retired - Last Century!!!
              Location:
              Herts/Essex border. Zone 8b
              Ratings:
              +123,751
              We have a few Aquilegias around the garden. There are a lot of them that have been crossbreeding for years.

              This is the bed on our front verge by the road.
              P1120392.JPG


              This is typical of a lot of other beds around the garden
              P1120416.JPG


              We have them in the veg plot where they bring bees to pollinate the veg
              P1120578.JPG


              And we have many other varieties - here are a few of our favourites
              P1120627.JPG

              P1120638.JPG

              P1120668.JPG
               
              • Like Like x 3
                shiney, Jul 8, 2012
                #8 Quote in Conversation
              • Aesculus

                Aesculus Bureaucrat 34 (Admin)

                Joined:
                Apr 30, 2008
                Messages:
                4,327
                Gender:
                Male
                Occupation:
                Cashier
                Location:
                Isle of Wight
                Ratings:
                +1,337
                Welcome to GC Carrie

                [​IMG]


                I've always loved aquilegia for there variation each year just stunning:wub2:
                 
                Aesculus, Jul 8, 2012
                #9 Quote in Conversation
              • Marley Farley

                Marley Farley Affable Admin! Staff Member

                Joined:
                May 11, 2005
                Messages:
                30,588
                Occupation:
                Grandmother Gardener Councillor Homemaker
                Location:
                Under the Edge Zone 8b
                Ratings:
                +14,127
                [​IMG] Carrie, I too love Columbines & I have lots of them, but this year they have puzzled me... Not 1 pink one which I thought really strange just different shades of purples & my purple & white doubles were all purple!! :scratch:
                 
                Marley Farley, Jul 8, 2012
                #10 Quote in Conversation
              • Carrie Thomas

                Carrie Thomas Apprentice Gardener

                Joined:
                Jul 7, 2012
                Messages:
                14
                Gender:
                Female
                Occupation:
                Selling plants & seeds, Aquilegia specialist
                Location:
                Swansea, South Wales
                Ratings:
                +25
                Absolutely stunning! it looks wonderful by photo and it must take your breath away to see it in real life! Don't think I've seen so many together in so many places in a garden....I dont have the room here...looks like your garden is much larger than what I have. I often wish its larger here....except for all those times when i cannot keep up with the work!
                 
                • Like Like x 1
                  Carrie Thomas, Jul 8, 2012
                  #11 Quote in Conversation
                • shiney

                  shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

                  Joined:
                  Jul 3, 2006
                  Messages:
                  63,470
                  Gender:
                  Male
                  Occupation:
                  Retired - Last Century!!!
                  Location:
                  Herts/Essex border. Zone 8b
                  Ratings:
                  +123,751
                  That's one of the main reasons we open our garden at the time of year when they're in bloom :dbgrtmb:. This year there was a 3-4 year old boy walking round the garden for an hour with a look of wonder in his eyes and continually say "Wow! Magic!!". I can only imagine how they must have looked when you're shorter than the plants so your whole view is filled with that colour. I think he may now be a gardening enthusiast - his father went to Writtle College.

                  We're now into the massive task of cutting them back. Over the years we've calculated that there must be between 3,000 and 5,000 of them. Nowadays we only leave a few to go to seed.
                   
                  shiney, Jul 9, 2012
                  #12 Quote in Conversation
                • AdamBorzy

                  AdamBorzy Gardener

                  Joined:
                  Apr 21, 2012
                  Messages:
                  43
                  Gender:
                  Male
                  Occupation:
                  Work for a shed retailer in Queensland
                  Location:
                  I live in Gold Coast, QLD.
                  Ratings:
                  +9
                  We're glad to have you here Carrie. Welcome to GC.
                   
                  AdamBorzy, Jul 18, 2012
                  #13 Quote in Conversation
                • shiney

                  shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

                  Joined:
                  Jul 3, 2006
                  Messages:
                  63,470
                  Gender:
                  Male
                  Occupation:
                  Retired - Last Century!!!
                  Location:
                  Herts/Essex border. Zone 8b
                  Ratings:
                  +123,751
                  I'm bumping this thread up after two years :blue thumb:

                  You've recently mentioned a new disease that Aquilegias have got. That must be the reason why we have lost about 4,000 of them :sad:
                   
                  • Informative Informative x 1
                    shiney, May 30, 2014
                    #14 Quote in Conversation
                  • Marley Farley

                    Marley Farley Affable Admin! Staff Member

                    Joined:
                    May 11, 2005
                    Messages:
                    30,588
                    Occupation:
                    Grandmother Gardener Councillor Homemaker
                    Location:
                    Under the Edge Zone 8b
                    Ratings:
                    +14,127
                    Marley Farley, May 30, 2014
                    #15 Quote in Conversation
                  Page 1 of 2
                  Loading...
                  Similar Threads - Carrie Thomas Obsessed
                  1. Novice Rob

                    Mme. Alfred Carriere

                    Novice Rob, Jul 21, 2019, in forum: Roses
                    Replies:
                    14
                    Views:
                    2,343
                    Novice Rob
                    Jul 21, 2019
                  2. joolz68

                    Well deserved carrie! Touchwood Aquilegias

                    joolz68, Jul 7, 2012, in forum: Events
                    Replies:
                    1
                    Views:
                    1,249
                    Carrie Thomas
                    Jul 8, 2012
                  3. clum111

                    Before I get carried away, can I....

                    clum111, Jun 6, 2012, in forum: General Gardening Discussion
                    Replies:
                    6
                    Views:
                    795
                    clum111
                    Jun 7, 2012
                  4. Marley Farley

                    2 New Aircraft Carriers....

                    Marley Farley, Feb 20, 2011, in forum: The Muppet Show
                    Replies:
                    8
                    Views:
                    849
                    shiney
                    Feb 21, 2011
                  5. silu

                    Got carried away at a nursery!

                    silu, Nov 15, 2010, in forum: General Gardening Discussion
                    Replies:
                    4
                    Views:
                    638
                    silu
                    Nov 15, 2010

                  Share This Page

                  1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
                    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
                    Accept Learn More...
                    Dismiss Notice