Cirsium Rivulare Atropurpureum

love it Karen, you would not believe it mine (one died during the winter) the other one came up, looked good and has now given up the ghost and gone the way of the other, the bees love this flower and I shall have to have some more of it. It is a real cottagey one this one and the colour is amazing.

That's strange isn't it? I thought it was a real tough hardy perennial......wonder if some rabbits nibbled it.

Nope it just shrivelled up, watch it dying on me, not a lot I could do, think maybe the fence panel we knocked in might have disturbed its roots though. Will have a replacement when I find one at gc.

Should be easy enough to find.

yes I know, off out sometime this week, will find it in one of the gc I am sure.

I am off to St Andrews Botanic Garden tomorrow with my friend and ex-supervisor, Carol. I shall take my camera. It is a lovely garden.

Enjoy :o)

This is nice. Hoping my Scotch Thistle has flowers similar to this later.

We used to grow this in the Midlands along with lots of other thistles, bought it last year, and just cannot find it anywhere.....another winter casualty? how annoying is that? great close up K.

Strange that Dotty, one of mine never showed up, the other started and then just curled up and disappeared, I did like it because the bees just love it. Still not replaced it had a busy week not been out to g.c. for a while, but I think this will have to be top of the shopping list for me. The colour is amazing.

Oliveoil the colour was what attracted me to it in the first place, as I use this a lot in our garden.

Im going to make sure I collect seed from my thistles, each year.

It is a lovely plant...I know it as "scotch thistle"...I suppose that is the common name for it?

Olive, I hope you are able to get one of these at a local garden centre. I do notice they are advertised on this page as I view it (Crocus and Burncoose...quite a variation in the prices though!). Good luck in your search.