I'd like one of these and not sure what to get and I have never grown them at all. Do they re-seed? I want one that is more blue than purple, any suggestions on what to get or nor get for zone 6?

I grow Blue Hobbit and Amethyst Sea Holly. Blue Hobbit reseeds like crazy for me. I like it because it is nice and short. I like the others but they tend to flop. I planted some in tight spaces between other similar height plants. They help hold it up. I only have one Mrs Wilmotts Ghost. My mom grew it from seed. It is supposed to reseed but both my mother and I have had a very hard time getting plants from seeds.

Any experience with Big Blue or Sapphire Blue? It is nice to know of one that reseeds, I don't like to buy plants that don't seed. Did not know about the flopping thing either. Grew Monarda this year, loved it! except that it is vrey brittle and breaks off in even the slightest breeze and was floppy-tall and lanky

I have only Sapphire Blue - it does reseed, and it's tall, and it does flop -- but I do not have it in full sun. I need to find a better place for it.

I've grown two for two years now. 'Neptunes Gold' never bloomed and I think it bit the dust for good this year but the one I can recommend is "Jade Frost". I love it. The stems are very stiff so flopping is not a problem. It has lots of pollinators constantly at it. It's on the Amethyst end of the blues. I don't know if it's sterile but I get no seedlings. There are several photos here including a dried up "Neptunes Gold". Sea Holly (Eryngium planum 'Jade Frost')

I don't grow any myself - my garden's only big enough for pots, but my favourite from public gardens I've been to is Eryngium × zabelii 'Jos Eijking', a medium height lovely blue.

Miss Willmott's Ghost

That is a must have for me! Two t's in Wilmott. So fantastic. I've just the spot for it. Hope I can find it. No entry in the DB for this cultivar Jennifer.

It's Miss Willmott...two Ls and 2 Ts. It is in the database under that name. And Miss Willmott was a real person and quite a character.

Thank you for the correction. I never like to perpetuate incorrect names.

Yes I think the story is that she would scatter the seeds in friends' gardens, hence the name. Fantastic plant!

Nice story! I am not familiar with this plant. I don't think I have ever seen it in a nursery. So it does reseed every yr?

She was an English eccentric who inherited a family fortune, created fantastic gardens but would hire only men to work on them, and eventually blew the inheritance. She may have scattered seeds as well...I don't recall the whole story. The gardens are mostly gone now, but there are a number of plants with her name on them. I have a cinquefoil named Miss Willmott, for example.

Interesting reading here. I became interested in eryngiums this year for the first time
and bought 2 `Blue Hobbit,' one of which has bit the dust. They are difficult to find in
nurseries around here, so I will be ordering seeds for next year. Miss Willmott's Ghost
is one I want to try, along with some of the taller blue varieties. I also want to add Echinops
to my garden for an extra splash of blue to scatter among my dahlias, daylilies, irises,
roses, etc.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

Read it all here!
I simply must find this plant now!

Doncha just love some of the interesting stories about plants and how they got their names?

Swallowtail seeds and Seedaholic both have good selections.

Blue Hobbit reseeds like crazy for me. But something is attacking the plants this year. Amethyst has reseeded a little.

I actually tried to rip some out but it came back the following year anyway!

No history yet on Miss Willmott's reseeding. We'll find out next spring.

jvdubb said:I grow Blue Hobbit and Amethyst Sea Holly. Blue Hobbit reseeds like crazy for me. I like it because it is nice and short. I like the others but they tend to flop. I planted some in tight spaces between other similar height plants. They help hold it up. I only have one Mrs Wilmotts Ghost. My mom grew it from seed. It is supposed to reseed but both my mother and I have had a very hard time getting plants from seeds.

Hi - what are those cool fluffy pick flowers way in the back? (The tallest ones...) Thanks!

@jvdubb

I didn't notice those in the photo I guess looking at other stuff. I too wonder what they are, I don't recognize them?

Sorry! I haven't been here in a while. Too busy and difficulty navigating the changes.

The tall pink/purple spikey flowers are Agastache. I'm trying to remember the cultivar! I'm pretty sure it is Globetrotter. I got the seeds from Swallowtail. I winter sow them.

In the center back the shorter flower that is hot pink is some type of phlox