I stepped outside in the garden clutching a cup of steaming coffee, as I do every morning. I like to inspect the garden before I start work … as if me ambling around will coax it into putting on a bit more growth before the onset of the cold days of winter that are so crisply and clearly coming our way.
My Eryngium ‘Blue Hobbit’ looked like it belonged in Goth Alice in Wonderland, all covered in dew in the diffuse light of sun and fog. I won’t prune down this fall for three main reasons:
1. The old foliage acts as insulation for the crown. If I cut it off now, I’ll be opening up wounds and pathways for moisture to get into the crown.
2. Wildlife needs us to stop pruning in the fall; they need the habitat to shelter in and the seeds of perennials make good winter fodder.
3. It adds structure and visual interest to the garden and it will look beautiful covered in frost and snow.
Here are a few online stores that sell Eryngium (including seeds) this time of year.
I bought this perennial on a whim as we were browsing around the garden center last fall. We had a voucher to spend and too many plants to choose from. This guy didn’t look like much more than a pile of soggy leaves. But the plant tag hinted at the potential of this plant, so into my cart it went. I didn’t realize it will achieve its potential in its first full year in the garden.
I’ve transplanted my Eryngium in the garden in October and it spent its first winter looking barely alive. But once spring came around, it just shot up, growing so fast and blooming so quickly that I had a hard time keeping up with taking photos of its progression.
I highly recommend adding an Eryngium to your garden if you’re looking for a plant that is:
- perennial,
- attractive to pollinators,
- resistant to drought,
- resistant to pests,
- blooming for months,
- very low-maintenace,
- can be started from seed or from a small plug;
- beautiful even during the winter months …
Here are a few online stores that sell Eryngium (including seeds) this time of year.
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