Scabiosa atropurpurea Ebony and Ivory Seeds

This selection named Scabiosa atropurpurea Ebony and Ivory displays a contrasting duo of sweet scabious that create a theatrical setting of beautiful intensity with their big, sweet-smelling, almost black or ivory white flowers. This short-lived bushy perennial will bloom for a long time as long as care is taken to remove the wilted flowers. This plant is fully hardy, really easy to grow in the sun and is ideal in cottage garden beds, in the sun and in well-drained soil.

Scabiosa atropurpurea, also known as Sweet Scabious, is a plant native to Southern Europe that develops from a deep and extensive root system. This plant is often grown as an annual, although it is actually a short-lived perennial. The 'Ebony and Ivory' selection displays two varieties with blooms in contrasting colours. They form erect bushy clumps measuring 45 cm high and 30 cm wide and feature a very rapid growth. The deciduous foliage is composed of finely cut, coarsely toothed, lanceolate, grey-blue leaves. It grows at ground level, around the base of the plant, forming a flat rosette that lies flat on the ground. Flowering takes place from July to October. Each plant produces up to 400 flowers and numerous stems reaching 45 cm high, each bearing a single domed flower head that measures 5 cm in diameter and consists of a multitude of tiny flowers that are either purplish black or ivory white depending on the variety. The stamens look like miniature pincushions. The fragrant flowers are very melliferous and nectar-rich.

This star of gardens of the past has been somewhat neglected these last years but has crept back into the spotlight with extraordinary, new colours like those displayed by the Ebony and Ivory selection. They are graceful, elegant and far from being austere as their English name "mournful widow" would suggest. Sweet scabious are an excellent choice for planting flowerbeds but also for making bouquets. Combine them with garden pink, love-in-a-mist, cosmos and cornflowers...