Astrantia are an absolute must-have for injecting often much needed colour to those difficult, shady spots in the garden. Known more commonly as Hattie's Pincushion, because the centre looks like pins stuck into a cushion, though we are never sure who Hattie was. The pincushions of tiny flowers are surrounded by ruff-like bracts, held on upright, branching stems, creating sprays of intriguing star-like blooms from May until September, sometimes even longer. The petals feel almost papery, and you just won't be able to resist touching them to check they are real. Wonderful planted in a shady bed, border or container where their distinctive blooms in complimentary shades of pink, red and white will impress. Perfect for pollinators, the bees just adore the blooms. Loved by florists too, Astrantia are excellent as cut or dried flowers in arrangements for your home. A huge bonus is that they are slug resistant so the pests should leave them alone. Astrantia prefer to be grown in moist, well-drained soil in part shade. Reaching a height of approximately 60-80cm and spread 30-45cm Astrantia are fully hardy perennials that can be left outside all year round to be enjoyed for years to come.
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