The gardens at home are in the July lull at the moment, there's not a lot in full flower, plants are either going over or just coming out into flower. A group of plants that do flower right over this gap period are the Scabious or Pincushion flowers and their relatives.
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| Knautia, Cephalaria and Thalictrum make a lovely combination |
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| If you look closely at the Thalictrum flowers they have the pink - purple and cream of the Knautias and Cephalaria |
Celpahalaria or Giant Scabious towers above the flower border with it's six foot high flower stems topped with yellow scabious flowers. Even once the flowers are finished the seed heads are worth keeping for their interesting shape and detail right into autumn and winter. Happy in sun or shade this is a plant worthy of a space, but it needs a lot of space as the leaves also get up to four feet or so long!
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| Thalictrum 'Elin' |
Thalictrum 'Elin' is one of my favourite plants and makes into my top 100 plants which you can read about here. Again it is a tall plant in flower with it's flower stems reaching seven feet. The tiny little flowers are purple in bud and open to reveal creamy yellow tiny flowers, reminiscent of gypsophela. I quite often use it in the same way as a filler or to add an airy feel to a vase of flowers. Despite its size the plant is very wind resistant and emerges from the ground in spring with purple leaves and stems, creating interest before it's even flowering.
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| Detail of Thalictrum 'Elin' flowers |
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| A pretty combination for mid summer |
Another of my favourite flowers is Knautia macedonica, or the Macedonian Scabious. Growing to three feet tall it flowers for weeks on end through summer. I like to dot them through the border where other plants can hel keep them upright as they can be a bit sprawly. It's needs friends to keep it up as if it's been on a good night out! The knautia flowers also last well in a vase, looking pretty in bud before there's even a hint of colour.
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| Thalictrum and Knautia buds |
Thanks to Cathy at Rambling in the Garden for hosting In a vase on a Monday. You can visit here blog for more inspiration and vases.
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Lovely colors, wonderful photography. /susie
ReplyDeleteHi Susie, thank you :)
DeleteWonderful! I'm impatiently waiting for the Cephalarias to bloom, having raised them from seed last year they have finally produced tall stems and buds! It is so very exciting.
ReplyDeleteThalictrums are lovely too but don't do well here where summers tend to be very dry. They just shrivel and barely survive and should be watered so much. That kind of airy filler-plants (both for vase and border) are so valuable. Knautia's night out makes me laugh, so apt!
It's so exciting to raise plants from seed and finally see them get to flowering stage, I never get board of it. Thalictrums do like a certain amount of moisr soil, why they do so well here in Scotland I guess. The knautias are quite showy and colourful, you can just see them missbehaving and flopping over on a night out :)
DeleteI love this combination, one I could recreate myself myself after a fashion although my scabious is not such a pretty colour as yours. Is yours pretty hardy? I had one for about 2 years that didn't return this year, but now some new ones gron from seed from another blogger. Like Saila I grew caphalaria fom seed and mine is flowering this year and I love its statuesque appearance. Will definitely leave the seedheads after reading your post. my fairly new thalictrum are also flowering and I have a white one but I don't think it is Elin. Thanks for sharing your lovely vase today
ReplyDeleteHI Cathy, I have Scabious arvensis and S.columbaria at the nursery too, I love them all. I've always found Scabious to be hardy and the knautia is over 10 years old. Cephalaria will seed around but the seedlings are easy to remove or keep. You'd know if you're THalictrum is Elin, it's so tall! THere are many species and varieties of THalictrum available now in purples, whites and yellows.
DeleteWhat a beautiful combination! So simple and vibrant. Scabiosa is one of my favorite perennials. That color is amazing and giving me Scabiosa envy! I think I have to have it.....
ReplyDeleteI love Scabious and it's relatives, all the different colours and heights and their ability to flowers for weeks makes it a great plant for the garden :)
DeleteGorgeous. Some of my favourites in there too. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you :)
DeleteIt's a lovely combination. I admire that Cephalaria but the Thalictrum was an inspired touch. I SO wish I could grow the latter but it's too hot and dry here to survive.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Thalictrums do prefer a cooler, damp soil, a shame you can't grow them, they're a lovely genus.
DeleteSuch a lovely arrangement. Such beautiful images.
ReplyDeleteThank you :)
DeleteGarden flowers always look wonderful with something feathery or foamy for filler. Thalictrum 'Elin' is a perfect choice. I love the contrast of the starry flowers with the purple buds.
ReplyDeleteThank you, they do help break up the larger flowers and leaves.
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