Echinops ritro 'Metallic Blue' Seeds

Echinops ritro, the Globe Thistle, is a robust Hardy Perennial (H7). Native to the dry, rocky regions of Southern Europe and Western Asia, it is built for endurance, surviving UK temperatures down to -20°C and thriving in the leanest, most sun-baked soils.

The Geometric Structure: Each "globe" is actually a dense cluster of hundreds of tiny, star-shaped individual florets. This structural symmetry makes it a favourite of garden designers, providing a strong vertical and geometric counterpoint to the soft, sprawling shapes typically found in a cottage garden border.

Silver-Green Contrast: The appeal of 'Metallic Blue' begins long before the flowers open. The deeply cut, thistle-like foliage is a beautiful silver-green on top with a downy-white underside. This bi-colour leaf effect ensures the plant remains a visual asset in the border from early spring until the winter frosts.

Globe Thistles are straightforward to raise from seed and become incredibly resilient, self-sufficient plants once established.

How to Sow:
Sow indoors from February to April for potential same-year flowers, or in May to June for blooms the following summer. Surface sow the seeds onto moist seed compost and cover with only a fine layer of vermiculite. Keep at 15-20°C; germination usually occurs within 14-21 days.

Where to Plant:
They demand full sun to develop their signature electric-blue colour and prevent the stems from becoming floppy. While they are tolerant of poor soils, sharp drainage is essential. Like many silver-leaved plants, they can suffer from crown rot in waterlogged clay over winter; ensure the soil is gritty and free-draining.

Ongoing Care:
Echinops requires very little maintenance. In late autumn, the faded flower stems can be cut back to the base, or left standing to provide striking winter silhouettes and essential winter shelter for beneficial garden insects. For the best dried flowers, harvest the stems when the globes are fully blue but before the individual florets begin to turn brown.

The intense, spherical blue of 'Metallic Blue' looks spectacular when paired with contrasting flower shapes or airy partners from our range:

• 🌸 Echinacea purpurea: The Shape Contrast. The large, flat, pink daisy heads of the Coneflower provide a perfect visual counterpoint to the tight, geometric blue spheres of the Globe Thistle. This combination is sophisticated, modern, and a haven for late-summer butterflies.
• 💜 Verbena bonariensis: The Colour Echo. The electric indigo of the Echinops and the vibrant purple of the Verbena are perfect tonal partners. Both plants are airy and transparent, allowing you to create a misty haze of blue-purple at the back of a sunny border.

Sow indoors in spring for a spectacular architectural display of metallic blue globes from July through to September.