Scabiosa atropurpurea Snowmaiden Seeds

Scabiosa atropurpurea 'Black Knight' is a biennial or short-lived perennial that is grown as an annual in most of our climates. The flowers are like small, almost black pompoms that sway at the top of long, slender stems, giving it a distinct rural look. It blooms throughout the summer, provided that faded flowers are regularly removed, and is surrounded by a procession of butterflies and other foraging insects. Really easy to grow in light soil, it spontaneously self-seeds in light soil and its flowers last for a long time in bouquets.

All sweet Scabious are discreet and slender looking plants. The 85 or so species that make up this genus belong to the family Dipsaceae and are distributed throughout the temperate zone of the globe. Scabiosa atropurpurea, also known as Sweet Scabious, is a plant native to Southern Europe that develops from a deep and extensive root system. This plant is often grown as an annual, although it is actually a short-lived perennial. The 'Black Knight' cultivar is characterized by its very dark inflorescences that are sometimes retouched with some white tips. The deciduous foliage is composed of finely cut, coarsely toothed, lanceolate, grey-blue leaves. It grows at ground level, around the base of the plant, forming a flat rosette that lies flat on the ground. Flowering takes place from July to October. Each plant produces up to 400 flowers and numerous stems, each bearing a single domed flower head at a height of 50-60cm that measures 5cm in diameter and consists of a multitude of tiny flowers of such a dark burgundy red that they appear almost black. The stamens look like miniature pincushions which explains it's English nickname "Pincushion Flower". The fragrant flowers are very melliferous and nectar-rich.

This star of gardens of the past has been somewhat neglected these last years but has crept back into the spotlight with extraordinary, new colours. They are graceful, elegant, and far from being austere as their English name "mournful widow" suggests. Sweet scabious are best planted in small groups, scattered among the grasses or larger flowers, as to bring a delicate touch of colour to beds. They prefer sunny locations which promotes blooming and are not very demanding when it comes to the nature of the soil as long as it is well-drained and even if it is downright chalky. Pick the flowers to encourage the renewal of blooms or leave them to dry where they are. They bring a lot of charm to winter settings and often self-seed spontaneously.

The dark colour of 'Black Knight' flowers goes well with blue or pink-flowered cornflowers, cosmos and love-in-a-mist. All the lighter textured annuals go well with sweet Scabious and it is so easy to mix different seeds together to quickly create a small colourful meadow or cover a slightly wild-looking slope. Linaria maroccana, Gilia capitata, exotic Poppies, common poppies, Gypsophila, Godetia, and snapdragons will enliven the garden with the incessant flight of foraging insects for at least 3 months, bringing a breath of naturalness to the garden while preserving biodiversity.