May Plant of the Month

A handsome, thistle-like plant that’s a magnet for bees. Known as the Plume thistle, its ruby red flowers are held on top of tall branching stems in May through to July. Deadheading will prolong flowering.

Clump forming with a spread of 60cm and a height of 1.2m, it forms a strong vertical in sunny borders. No staking required. Moisture retentive soil is preferred, so add some good organic matter to the soil when planting. A distinctive hardy perennial that is easy and rewarding.

Posts from the blog:

Adding annuals

A selection of recommended annuals.

The bees are a’ buzzing!

The garden is alive with bees as they gather pollen from a whole host of flowers.

Unfurling ferns

Take the opportunity to get close up to your ferns and admire the fascinating structures that exist within this family of ancient plants.

Plant sleuth

This mystery plant had leaves that were still lush in October but with no sign of any flowers to give me a lead.