Scabiosa Atropurpurea "Chile Black"

This is another recent acquisition, inspired by some very nice examples of the Scabious family that I saw on my visit to West Green House last month. I’m a great fan of dark-coloured flowers, and when I saw this plant’s name – Chile Black – I knew I had to have it. It came from my local Garden Centre.

According to the label, this plant will flower in profusion from May to September, and judging by the number of blooms and buds on it at present, this sounds highly likely.

My usual technique is to grow plants like this in pots, so that I can move them around at will. For the time being it is sitting next to a pot of variegated sage, whose gold and pale green leaves set it off very well.
Here’s a closer look at a flower. It reminds me of an old-fashioned pin-cushion! From a distance, the flowers appear black, but when you get close they are really a very dark purple.

While I was taking that shot, a fly decided to photo-bomb (see below, bottom left)…

For those who are interested in the details, this is a hardy perennial, which prefers a sunny position in well-drained soil, and is a good one for attracting bees. It will grow to about 20 inches tall.