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

Scabiosa fama Deep Blue is a captivating perennial, renowned for its striking deep blue blooms that bring an elegant touch to the garden. With its growth pattern forming clusters of lush basal foliage, this herbaceous beauty sends up tall, wiry stems adorned with intricate, pincushion-like flowers. These deep blue blossoms grace the garden with their captivating presence from late spring well into the heart of summer, ensuring a sustained burst of vibrancy. Reaching a moderate height of 45 to 60 centimetres, Scabiosa fama Deep Blue offers a mid-sized allure, complemented by its deeply lobed, f ... 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

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

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 ... Learn More

Scabiosa vestita, commonly known as the Hairy Pincushion Flower, is a captivating perennial that enchants with its unique features and graceful appearance. Belonging to the Dipsacaceae family, this plant is native to regions with diverse climates, showcasing its adaptability. The Hairy Pincushion Flower is renowned for its distinctive hairy stems and leaves, which contribute to its charming and textured aesthetic. The intricate blossoms of Scabiosa vestita are a delightful blend of lavender and lilac hues, forming intricate pincushion-like flower heads. Each bloom consists of a central dome ... Learn More

The most striking of all schizanthus, purple-veined yellow-tongued, crimson orchid-like flowers. Gorgeous pot or sheltered rockery plant. ... Learn More

Larger-than-normal, cup-shaped deep pink flowers open continuously over slowly running clumps of sword-shaped leaves. Plants grown from seeds from this famous, late-blooming, "Zeal Salmon" variety flower from summer right into the following winter and even all-winter-long in a sheltered spot and if it is mild. This must be one of the longest flowering plants in the garden! ... Learn More

This new stunning variety has unusually large flowers of deepest, most luscious, lipstick-red, which open on strong stems from early summer onwards for a very long period. This superb, vigorous, rapidly multiplying new plant will thrive in all conditions from a hot dry spot to shallow water, and in a sheltered area these plants can continue flowering right through the winter. ... Learn More

Large, cup-shaped scarlet flowers open continuously over slowly running clumps of sword-shaped leaves. In bloom from spring until the first serious frosts of winter, and even all-winter-long if it is mild, this must be one of the longest flowering plants in the garden! ... Learn More

Large, palest pink flowers open on this vigorous, clump-forming perennial bearing narrow, bright green leaves. Seeds were collected from the cultivar known as Jennifer which bears flower spikes of open, cup-shaped blossoms which appear from early summer until late autumn, and if mild weather prevails, right through the winter in a mild spot. ... Learn More

This rare pure white form has slightly narrower petals than the coloured varieties but still flowers over the entire year in warmer gardens even during the winter! Once established mature clumps continue to produce a seemingly endless supply of attractive crocus-like flowers. Occasionally odd seedlings may produce pale pink flowers. ... Learn More

From clumps of sword-shaped leaves arise stems of cup-shaped flowers from white, through pinks to deepest vermilion. This South African Gladiolus relative provides valuable colour from August right through autumn and into winter if it remains mild. ... Learn More