There’s always plenty of colour around in spring, something dark-flowered like Aquilegia 'William Guiness' creates a contrast among vibrant neighbouring plants, or adds depth to a panoply of pastel blooms surrounding it. It’s beautiful in its own right of course – contemporary and sleek in that aubergine attire, but also capable of being cottage-like. It all depends on what you plant it with, but typically columbines like this look good anywhere. Exquisitely delicate, Aquilegia 'William Guiness' will nod daintily in your borders from late April to June with five rounded dark purple, almost black, spurred petals which fade to dusky pink. This delicate aquilegia, or Granny’s Bonnet as it’s commonly known, is a low-maintenance must for any early summer borders and thrives in sun or shade.  

Easy-to-please Aquilegia 'William Guiness' is not a fussy character and does well in most soils, including clay or light, poor sandy soils, and all soil types in between. In places with more challenging soils, it’s best to pot up your Aquilegia bare root and grow it on for a few months outdoors until it’s better established before transferring it into your garden. The slender stems of this beautiful columbine will hold their stunning blooms at approximately 70cm high above a mass of blue-green scalloped foliage. As an added bonus, these pollinator friendly, perennial Aquilegia vulgaris 'William Guiness' will also self-seed in your garden with an exciting mix of columbine offspring.