One of my favorites

One of my favorite perennials is globe thistle. It's bushy and spiky and not traditionally beautiful, but I just love its purple-blue flowers and grayish-green leaves. Globe thistle fills a big spot, and--for that reason--I planted a new one last year to fill a gap where we cut back some of our privet hedge.

I was disappointed that it didn't get as big the first year as I thought it would, but it was beautiful all the same.

This year, I'm not disappointed. It's nearly as tall as the fence and will be beautiful when it blooms

Globe thistle also reminds me of scottish thistle. Scottish thistle is everywhere in Scotland and has been its national emblem since the 15th century! I think it's impossible to walk in the Scottish countryside without coming across thistle.

Here is a foxglove growing next to a long-distance footpath sign-- marked with the scottish thistle emblem