Plant Aquilegia in partial shade in the South and warm inland areas in the West. Grow in average garden soil. Leafminers often leave unsightly white trails on the leaves; after the plant blooms cut leaves to the ground to encourage a fresh crop of foliage. Columbines can be heaved out of the ground in cold-winter climates (see Winter Protection for cause and remedy). Plants may be short-lived, but they self-sow with abandon.