One of my favourite flowers, Scabiosa caucasica, has started blooming in the garden. Between the Pinks (Dianthus superbus) mentioned in an earlier post and Scabiosa, I’m in heaven. Life is good. All Scabiosa flowers intrigue me along with related ones, such as Knautia macedonica.
These flowers are commonly called Pincushion flowers. Like the people who live in this climate, Scabiosa are hearty souls, who thrive with added lime in the soil and good drainage.
One of my favourite songs, A Song for the Angels, by the amazing
Canadian indie group, Great Lake Swimmers, seems to be the perfect
music to listen to while spending time admiring these flowers.
If you have a chance,
take a listen to this song. Here is a link to the song on YouTube.
I am lucky to have my niece, Antonia, regularly supplying me with new music. This group was one she introduced me to – thankfully.
Here are the amazing lyrics …
The echo to your yell
The ripple to your dive
The currents under your waveElectricity
Flows through me
I send it out to you
We were charged
With the founding poles
Of a million years
A million years
Before us
Have trembled in their fearsNever saw you never heard you
But i knew that you where there
Everywhere
I could feel you all around meI know that i am just a grain of sand
Meeting water at the land
We could make our castles here
And sweep them all awayI know that i am just a drop of water
Frozen into ice on the stormy earth
Who gave us birth
Over and over in cycles
Lovely cyclesNever saw you never heard you
But i knew that you were there
Everywhere
I could feel you all around me
in the autumn light 
I to love the pin cushion flower….they are dotted all around my garden, I actually find they survive well on my heavy clay, which is amazing….
The colours, for me, are just so perfect….
Such beauty….SUCH beauty in that flower. I’m listening right now to the song you linked, beautiful. thanks.
What a lovely flower in such a Georgia O’Keefe shape, and in my favorite colors. I managed to listen to the song and agree they’re made for each other. It seems like no matter how hearty your native flora and fauna are, you sense the low tide of the ages everywhere, calling to us unbidden. It’s a fitting meditation on the beat of time.
The song is as beautiful as the flower. I jsut love your photo of the center.
My Scabiosa have not bloomed yet. I feel like mine are such a treasure and look forward to their first blooms.
Your pictures of the scabiosa are quite ethereal, Kate. Lovely
Regards
Karen
The pincushion flower is exquisite, otherworldly. The song is a perfect complement to it. I haven’t heard the Great Lake Swimmers before but I will certainly check them out further. There are shades in there of one of my favourite Canadians of all time – Leonard Cohen. Absolutely magical!
Those are some of the most beautiful flowers I have ever seen, Kate. Thank you for posting the photos of them! I’ll go listen to the song now…
Kate, do you sing to your garden? I don’t know this group, but I do like the song. Your photos are really neat. I have had these before, but think mine were darker blue.
Have you started showing your garden yet? Or is it done all in the same week?
Thanks, Kate, that was a peaceful break from the stress of packing – the song and the images. Nature brings so many surprises. I always prefer just a vocalist and a guitar, especially live.
Kate, you’ve somehow caught the heart of scabiosas – soft and ethereal.
Kate,
I went to iTunes and bought the song you quoted as soon as I read your post. Isn’t it great that we have “hip” grown children who can turn us on to good new stuff? I like the song AND the lyrics. Thanks for sharing
Weeping
Such exquisite blooms and your photographs catch all the perfect details! I love the light on the flowers too. These photos are worth framing.
Cindy
Thanks for introducing me to a beautiful song and flower. I especially love the color of this Scabiosa.
Aiyana
As you know, I too love scabiosa but this one of yours which you’ve introduced me to, is gorgeous and delicate.
I am totally blown away by the lyrics to that song Kate. What beautiful, deeply felt writing that is. Another grand introduction — thank you friend.
What a gorgeous flower! I’ve never seen these before. Lovely. G
My comment seems to have disappeared! Gorgeous flower Kate, I’ve never seen one of these before. Now I want one LOL!!!! G
I have forgotten about scabiosa. I used to grow them at my old house. Your’s is lovely. The color is quite beautiful. I will have to look for yours at the nursery.
Yes, they are exquisite! And the color is so soft and billowy.
What a wonderfull picture of scabiosa !!! Little hello from Belgium (Europe)
Sure enough – had to tune in to the music for “listening” to your flowers – lovely.
Oh wow, I have never seen the flower. I’m definitely adding it to my list. Nice song too.
Very lovely flower. I don’t think we have it in our clime. Cool song, too.
Gorgeous photos. I used to grow this flower but it died out a few years ago – I think the area I had it in was too dry. You’ve just reminded me that I should get some more of this plant.
You’ve inspired me to plant some Scabiosa, Kate. I had them years ago, but they didn’t winter over. I’ve often thought I must try them again. The color is so soft and delicate, and those blooms look like a ballerina’s skirt. Beautiful photos!
I think I must have had your post in my mind yesterday when I found the little cousins of these whilst we were out walking. They are such beauties, aren’t they?
Hi Kate,
How beautiful. They must not grow here or I would remember seeing them!
Hope you are have a great summer :o)
Mary
Beautiful scabious! And lucky you, Kate, to have a niece who keeps up with good new music and is willing to keep you in the loop. My own nieces and nephew are too little to even listen yet, and my friends’ kids, who are eager to try to bring me up to date, listen to gangsta rap and other stuff that’s so obscene and violent I just want to cover my ears, even when the actual beat is good. Sigh. Does it strike you that Canada has more than its share of great musicians? From Joni Mitchell to Crash Test Dummies, I was raised on Canadian music. And I know there’s been a whole world more since them!
Breathtaking, both flower and song. Thank you for sharing them with us. Debi @ Giraffe Head Tree
You know, my graduate students – and my niece too – are always introducing me to new music – and what a treat it is! I went to YouTube and listened to the song – how beautiful, and yes – how appropriate to listen to while in your garden.
I’ll have to spend some time soon and catch up on posts. I’ve been deliquent in my blog reading, which really isn’t such a terrible thing I suppose – and it’s a treat to come here, and see a beautiful flower and listen to a new song.
(Oh – and to learn something new, I didn’t realize that Scabiosa benefits from added lime. My soils are acidic – so that might explain things a bit!)
I planted three scabiosa last year; this spring the rabbits darn near chewed them to death, but now one of them has a tiny little flower head on it. I can’t wait to see it!
After reading your blog, I now think my flowers are talking to me. But I love it. And I talk back.
Oh my, your photos are so gorgeous. I’m sure my mother has had scabiosa and I really loved the flowers.
Kate, your garden blues are some of the prettiest I have ever seen. Between the gardener who tends them and that lovely light you have for them up in the frozen north… it makes me think I should banish all blues from my coarse, bright garden when I see how they should look, in yours. 🙂
Your photographs look into the heart of the flower, Kate – something I seldom do lately. My glance is toward the roots of my ‘Butterfly Blue’, where I aim the water in amazement that after so many days of 38°C/100°F the plant is not only alive but still in bloom.
Saw your Twitter – congratulations on your upcoming TV appearance!
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
I love all your flowers. They are just beautiful.
What a wonderful flower and a beautiful photo!
Very nice.
It reminds me of a cloud or cotton candy. Great pic Kate.
Hi Kate,
This is a new flower to my eyes. It is just fetching. I love the variety of hues that you capture in one photo. The song adds another dimension. Thanks for this.
it’s a bit weird that such a gorgeous little flower has a name that brings less things to mind….. SCAB iosa….. i remember my boys giggling and making boy jokes when they first heard it. got the tune going as i write to you…. well performed music with a simple, clean melody line, and not a lot of backup harmony etc is a powerful thing… maybe because it’s so rare.
Wow, love the soft colors on that Scabiosa. Hope you are having a good summer on the plains…..my Dad says they need rain badly there.
Missing your updates! Hope all is well.
Oh my goodness, those are wonderful! Do you suppose you could save some seeds for me, Kate?
How did the Scabiosa seeds do that I sent you last year? Mine aren’t all that “giant” but I do like them all the same.