Place the pods & seed in a ventilated container and store in a cool, dark, dry location until ready to plant. Low humidity will allow the pods to dry and release the seed.

You can plant outdoors in the fall. Sow directly into a prepared garden location or into a pot with a prepared mix or good garden soil. They will germinate in the spring. Press the seed into the soil for good contact, but do not cover, as they require light to germinate. Cover pots with screen wire to prevent birds and rodents from eating or disturbing the seed.

If you plan to start them indoors during late winter, they will need a 4-6 weeks cold stratification in your fridge and then bright light, to germinate.

Select a location in the garden where they can self-seed, as they are short lived perennials (usually 1-3 years).
When seed has set on the plants, if you do not collect them, clear debris from a 2-3 ft. area around the plants, so that the falling seed can make contact with the soil.

Only species plants will reproduce true colors, but they hybridize readily with other species and produce many different flower colors. (I have a soft pink one that appeared in the garden a few years ago).

Grow as many as you can, since they are great plants for Hummingbirds & Butterflies!

Good luck!

Thanks !
I did read some post on the wintersowing, seed and perenial forums and your reply brings it all together nicely.

Since I want to learn and experiment, I think I'm going to do 1/3 in the fall onto the ground, 1/3 to wintersow (I have 2 large plant stands for my 150 violets so I've got the setup to do it) and 1/3 to share with others :)

we'll see how it goes.

Dora

Nature scatters them on the ground in late summer/early fall and it works well for her! And yep, it would be fun to experiment with different approaches and try your hand at winter sowing.

I agree to try two different ways. I hang my seeds in paper bags for at least 2 weeks after removing them from pods. Then they go into plastic baggies once I know they are all dry.
Sometimes insects get into columbine seed pods. They eat the seeds. If you see that happening, at any time you can shove the seeds in the freezer for a few hours, take them out and dry them again.

I planted a few by seed years ago. Now I have hundreds. They are one of the best self seeders out there. Good luck!

I'm really looking forward to this experiment.
Thanks for the encouragement.
Ideally, I'd like to get to where I can supply and develop my flower gardens without spending hundreds in plant material every year.

Dora