Field Scabious

Knautia arvensis  

The lovely pinkish-mauve pincushion flowers of old cottage gardens. Great magnet for butterflies, Honeybees and Bumblebees right throughout summer. Easier to grow and hardier in our wet winters than any of the more exotic garden varieties usually available to gardeners. They do best in a dry, sunny border or in a rockery. Can be introduced to a hay meadow, but seem to need dry, weak-competition conditions there also.  Hardy perennial.