Purple Pincushion

Scabious are very easy going plants that will do well in a wide variety of positions and soils. You can even keep your scabious in the pot for a while if you prefer.

When planting out chose a sunny east, west or south facing spot where you can enjoy the colourful flowers. Dig a nice big hole when you do this and as you would do with any new planting add some rich compost to the hole to get it settled in. Keep well watered, whilst it is establishing or whilst in a pot but once it’s settled it won’t need a lot of extra watering.

Pinch out spent flowers regularly to encourage new blooms and water often enough to ensure that the soil remains damp. Scabious will naturally dieback at the end of the summer but leave them in place and they will reward you with a lovely display each year from early summer to the first frosts.

Problem solving:

Scabious are really garden plants so it can be difficult to keep them well watered in a pot. If they wilt dramatically you know they are thirsty so given them a really thorough watering and consider either planting out in the ground or finding a position with a bit of midday shade out of any strong breezes.