Echinops ritro, the Globe Thistle, comes into its own in early August, making a fine architectural statement, particularly when set among other herbaceous perennials and grasses that politely draw attention away from the thistle's sometimes scraggy-looking foliage; airy, white-flowered Artemisia lactiflora 'Guizhou Group' and the subtly variegated Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light', for example. The spiked, silvery, individual buds open gradually from the apex of each globe, briefly forming a perfectly round lavender-blue pom-pom, driving bumble-bees and other pollinators wild with nectar-fuelled desire. I raised the plant pictured below from seed, gathered from the original clump (above). Whether due to genetic variation, the vigour of youth or a particularly fine vintage from our compost cellars that year, the offspring have outgrown their parents in every department, with huge globes on plants exceeding 2 m in height. Happily, I did stake them on time; flopped Echinops are beyond tragic.
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