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Columbines:
Aquilegia, Paraquilegia, and Semiaquilegia

by Mike Stevens

ISBN 0-88192-588-8
192 pages, 6 x 9; full-color photographs, full-color illustrations, b&w illustrations; Hardcover

Fresh from his award-winning monograph on penstemons, Robert Nold turns his attention to one of the best-loved—and most frequently misunderstood—groups of garden plants. Columbines: Aquilegia, Paraquilegia, and Semiaquilegia is the first gardener's guide to these striking plants in more than half a century; and in his funny, personal, and charming prose, Nold makes sense of the thorniest taxonomic and horticultural questions they present. Sixty-five species of Aquilegia receive detailed examination, with a complete summary of cultivation needs, history, and biology. The author also describes plants of the genera Semiaquilegia and Paraquilegia, cutting through confusion and dissension to create a useful overview of these "columbine cousins." Nold also provides a brief history of hybridization, and practical chapters on propagation and pests and diseases round out the book. In addition to beautiful paintings by botanical artist Cindy Nelson-Nold, the book also boasts several dozen exquisite photos of columbines in the wild and in gardens.