Watching the garden struggle over many rainless weeks, I’ve been thinking more and more about drought-tolerant plants. And here’s a real winner – Echinops or globe thistle. It comes from the Mediterranean, but there are now many garden cultivars to choose from, some less sprawling than others.
I grew mine from seed a couple of springs ago. The plant here, is one of the seedlings I planted out at the allotment. It has had no attention from me this year, and its end of the bed has had not been watered. The prickly globes are just coming into flower and yesterday the bumble bees were all over them. And of course there can be nothing better for the vegetable plot than a few star attractions for the pollinators.
And then at the other end of the bed from the Echinops, and the tangible result of some good pollinating, is an already fat Crown Prince squash. I’m amazed at the size of it, given my erratic hand-watering of the mother-plant a couple of metres away. I’m thinking of hiring it out to Cinderella. At this rate it will provide her, or even me, with a very handsome coach. Just need to look out for a good team of horses. Oh yes, and a few slick coachmen.
Tish Farrell 
Nice! Nasturtiums in the back ground?
Using them on sarmies and salads these days
They’re the squash flowers sprawling all over. Nasturtiums are good though. All aerial parts edible, as indeed are the squash flowers.
i have these in my yard as well, and the bees and i both love them!
They’re had to beat, and very architectural among floatier plants.
blue hedgehogs on stilts – irresistible to bees and the eye. I do wonder about drought planting until the wet summers return to suggest otherwise. That is a mighty squash without the rains – it could have been a contender like Branson says in On the Waterfront!
I love seeing Echinops blooms. I hope I can add some to my garden.
They’re definitely a very worthwhile plant.
I planted some Echinops plugs this spring. They haven’t put on much growth so I assume they will overwinter and grow again next year? I do like them for their structure and also bee attraction. What to plant is a constant dilemma. I have changed my mind at least twice since moving here!
Did you plant them out as plugs? Or grow them on a bit first? I’m always a bit bemused by plugs. It’s taken me a while to realise that some things really need to go into a pot for a while. Yours should overwinter though, as long as the S & S don’t decide to eye them up while they’re still small.
These were quite large sized plugs so they went into the garden, as did some Eryngium which are flowering now. Other smaller plugs I have potted on and will plant out next spring. I find the plugs usually are big enough not to get eaten, although saying that I’m not sure there are 6 Echinops any more. Will they die down completely then? If so that might be a problem when they emerge next year.
I don’t think they’ll die right down, more of a shrink to a small crown.
I shall keep my eye on them 🙂
I will consider adding globes to the garden. I have plenty of lavender which the bees love. Unfortunately I have more lavender than bees.
lavender is definitely good for bees and butterflies, and humans – very soothing.
Mine started out as three small nursery starts and has replicated, reproduced, and ventured all over the yard. I wasn’t aware lavender was such a traveler.
It obviously likes you very much. I’ve never had mine do that. If more plants are required we usually have to take cuttings.
It’s so happy and I don’t know why!
Happy bees!
Wonder how large it will grow with the rain being few? Love the blue spikey plants …so do he bees.
At the moment it’s about 3 feet tall without rain. I don’t think it will get much taller, with or without.
I’ve grown Echinops ritro for the first time this year and it’s a star (ha ha!). Lasts nicely too. Stevie has a monster pumpkin and after the rain it might just be the size of a pumpkin carriage by the end of the week!
Race you then!
Is the last image of a pumpkin?
Yes, indeed, Lazarus, a pumpkin (or squash) – Crown Prince is the variety, so a very regal vegetable 🙂
Since I was kid loved pumpkins. At one time, after highschool started growing my own that I sold to my neighbors. And did you know that the pumpkin veins are used as food back here?
I used to grow them in my Nairobi garden. We also ate the very young soft leaves as well. They are a highly nutritious food. The flowers are good too. You can dip them in batter and fry them 🙂
Really? Haha… How I hate the taste of stew made from those leaves!
Ah well. Each to his own, Lazarus. They were quite good in a chilli peanut sauce!
Sure, maybe I will try it with peanut sauce. Haha
I’ll bring the slipper 🙂 🙂
Good on you, Jo. Where would we be without it 😉
A decent amount of rain for you yet? 🙂 🙂 We almost needed the Ark. (no, not him! 🙂 )
Not a huge amount, but a very short sharp instant drenching this afternoon. A bit niggardly on the whole, but grateful for all droplets.
Beautiful set of garden pictures, Tish! I like the contrast in the last image between light and dark and smooth and serrated. Good work!
Thank you, Peter.
Weren’t the horses transformed mice? Can you find a few of them? I’m always delighted to see bees flourishing – there’s been a paucity here the last few years. J’s an apiariist manqué: his mnemonic for the numberplate of a recently bought car is “buy 49 bees”!
Shropshire at least seems to have plenty of bees, bumbles anyway. I don’t know about the state of honey bees. They’ve been prone to diseases in recent years. And yes the horses were made from mice. I try to pretend I haven’t got those at the allotment. They steal the newly sown pea seeds.
Maybe they just want a career change!!!
I love the colour and explosive shape of these easy to care for plants I think I’ll have a look around to see if they can be grown here.
They ought to work in your domain. I think the RHS site said they prefer good drainage. Mine at the allotment couldn’t be in heavier soil, so they’re pretty forgiving. I think they grow wild in arid scrub in the Mediterranean.
Just been looking around for them. Seems I can get seeds from China on EBay….
Ebay is brilliant for seeds. I’ve grown a very striking Russian rudbeckia. Also some helianthus from Singapore.
Jack had success with desert rose seeds too.
Ah yes. They were looking pretty impressive the last time I saw a shot of them over at yours.
Our cold(ish) nights have put them back a bit, but I’m sure they will recover once the warmer weather is here
Fingers crossed then.
I think they will bounce back soon
Wow I’ve never seen this flower before, it’s so beautiful. I love that the bees love them 😊
This evening there were sometimes 4 bumbles to a single flower. All sorts of bee argy bargy going on.
Awww how cute! The bee world is competitive by the sound of it
An impressive pumpkin! … those bees look so happy. 😀
It’s certainly quick off the mark.
never seen pollen that color. like a different planet. sweet shots!
such wonderful thistles
They’re still looking quite good even though there dying off.