These gorgeous first year flowering perennials come in a dazzling mixture of all colours from mauve to deepest red all with contrasting white stamens and ruffled outer petals. It's not just butterflies that love these lovely, sweetly fragrant, easy-to-grow, ever-popular and very rewarding; humans are happy to find room for them too! Moderately fast growing, they give a profusion of double pincushion flowers, two inches or so across, on tall, strong stems. Blooming from summer into early autumn, they will give a touch of class to your border and supply you with some excellent cut flowers. ... Learn More

Crowds of wiry stems support dainty, pale yellow pincushion flowers over clumps of finely-cut foliage. The plant will appreciate sun and fertile soil and will seed itself around your garden if you allow it, and regular dead-heading will ensure a long-lasting display. The butterflies and bees will be regular visitors during the flowering season, from July until August. ... Learn More

Large flat lavender coloured flowers, up to 3cm across, appear from May through to July above pretty silver foliage and display the characteristic pincushion mound at the centre. Perhaps the most attractive feature of this plant, however, are the perfectly spherical seed heads that form after the flowers have faded: you will become incredibly popular with local flower arrangers! Reflecting its Cretan heritage, this plant is drought tolerant and will thrive in hot, dry, poor, well-drained soil and is a reliable performer in coastal areas. As with other Scabious, the butterflies and bees will be regular visitors. ... Learn More

A rare new giant from the Mountains of South Africa. Stout broomstick-like stems, with attractive wrinkled leaves, carry a long succession of ivory white flowers from July until October. ... Learn More

This clumping, evergreen perennial with silver-green, grass-like leaves 15cm long is covered with tufts of silvery hairs. Summer-borne flowers are solitary, light purple, up to 4cm wide, and held on strong, narrow stalks. The name pincushion perfectly fits the description of the flower, with its rounded form. Bees and butterflies love this plant, which likes dry, hot, sunny conditions and would be suitable for a dry, sheltered wall. ... Learn More

With its clusters of creamy white flowers, this must be one of South Africa's prettiest indigenous perennials. Growing in small clumps, the countless flower heads stand on long, naked stems above the finely divided, almost fern-like leaves, which form opposite each other along the lower part of the stems, gently moving with the slightest breeze. On warm summer days, butterflies cover these filigree mounds for this is one of their favourite nectar plants. A long succession of beautiful flowers appears from early spring to the middle of summer. ... Learn More

This stunning new plant is a selected form of Scabiosa africana from South Africa. Strong branching stems of frilly primrose-like leaves, produce a compact shrub. Then appears a succession of large, very lovely, pastel lilac flowers all summer long. ... Learn More

Delicate single clear-lavender flowers dance on slender, wiry stems enjoying the attentions of visiting bees and butterflies in search of their rich supply of nectar from June all the way through to September. The foliage forms a loose clump of deeply serrated leaves, making this an attractive plant for the front of an herbaceous border. Plant in a sunny position in well-drained soil, although it will tolerate some shade if you haven't got quite the right spot in full sun, and dead-head regularly to keep the flowers coming and to control self-seeding. ... Learn More

A gorgeous, slowly-spreading plant, producing 'pincushion' flowers on many branching stems over a very, very long flowering season, often into winter!. This rarely seen colour makes a bright splash even in the darkest corner. The dense, double, scabious like flowers are a brilliantly strong crimson-cherry-red, a rare colour in border flowers, and in time it makes a large, neat, rounded bushy plant producing countless flowers which are also excellent for cutting. Although its alternative name is Knautia, (pronounced 'naughtier'), this easy to grow, strikingly beautiful plant, thankfully doesn't live up to its name! Finally, as well as flowering as long and hard as almost any plant in the garden, the bees and butterflies absolutely adore them. ... Learn More