Globe thistle (Echinops ritro)

just starting here too! love these spikey looking globes..

Lori, just coming out here too. We started our blooming period quicker than you but you have warmer summers (I suspect) so your blooms will come out much faster from now on, we have warm winters (relatively speaking) but our summers are never very warm.

I really prefer B.C. winters, K. Especially those on the island.. My sister used to live in Sydney and I can remember one Christmas going into Victoria to buy a christmas tree...in the pouring rain! We have had a much hotter summer than the previous five have been... It's been scorching hot most of July..and very dry. Hot winds along with it which makes things dry out faster... Praying for about a week of rain for garden catch up and to put our wells back into shape.