Columbine Constellation

Day 220: I'll admit it. I have a profound fondness for "old-fashioned" plants: lilacs, lily-of-the-valley, Shirley poppies, honeysuckle, delphiniums, blood-red peonies, hollyhocks, bleeding-hearts, columbine. My grandma grew most of them...well, if the truth be known, the gardener of the family was my grandfather, but by the time I was old enough to walk, he was confined to his bed by a stroke. I think of my grandparents' yard as being my grandmother's handiwork if only because she was a major figure in my upbringing. Admittedly, a lot of modern varietals were unknown in those days; I don't recall seeing any double columbines or hollyhocks until I reached adulthood. Consequently, I lean toward the singles for my own garden, although I have to admit that those with ruffled and abundant "petticoats" are attractive in their own way. In fact, the double hybrids have become so popular that it's almost impossible to find singles of some species now.