Knautia macedonica (Melton Pastels)

Airy, Pastel Pincushion Blooms That Dance Above Borders All Summer
From Just £9.99
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Key Features

  • A summer-long display of delicate pincushion blooms in soft pink, mauve and purple, adding a romantic, airy feel to borders
  • Slender, willowy stems create graceful movement in the garden, contrasting beautifully with the soft, textured foliage at the base
  • Loved by pollinators and beneficial insects, making it a perfect choice for wildlife gardens and naturalistic planting schemes
  • Hardy and low-maintenance, returning each year with an even better display as the clump matures
  • Retains interest after flowering with decorative seed heads that also provide valuable food for garden birds over winter
Plant Calendar
Planting Time
Flowering Time
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Description

Imagine a cloud of soft, pastel blooms bobbing gently in the summer breeze... That's the charm of Knautia macedonica 'Melton Pastels'.

This graceful, willowy perennial sends up slender stems topped with dainty pincushion flowers in dreamy shades of pink, mauve and purple from July right through to September. Each bloom measures around 3-4cm across, yet en masse they create an airy, ethereal effect that draws the eye and softens any planting scheme.

It's the kind of plant that quietly works its magic in the background while also rewarding a closer look. At its base, a neat clump of soft, lance-shaped leaves anchors the plant, while above, the stems sway lightly, catching the light and adding movement to your borders. Plant it among other cottage garden favourites for a natural, romantic feel, or let it shine in a wildlife-friendly planting where it will attract bees, butterflies, and other pollinators in abundance.

And the appeal doesn't stop when flowering finishes, as the attractive seed heads remain to provide winter interest and feed birds, making this a year-round asset to your garden. Hardy, easy to grow, and low-maintenance, 'Melton Pastels' is a reliable choice that comes back stronger every year, gradually forming a more substantial clump for even more summer colour.

Whether you're designing a new mixed border, refreshing a tired one, or simply looking to add height and a touch of lightness, this perennial fits the bill beautifully. Plant it once and enjoy its easy-going charm season after season.

Top Tips
Dead heading will prolong summer flowering; however, you can leave the seed heads in place to enhance the look of it and provide food for birds.
Care Information

Planting Advice for Knautia:

  • Best planted in a well-drained soil in full sun, Knautia does have a tendency to grow rather laxly so appreciates a little support from other plants or pea sticks.
  • Well-drained soil is essential and add plenty of humus to poor soils to retain moisture. Remember to allow plenty of room for growth as these scabious may reach a metre or so in height.
  • Water your potted plant well.
  • Dig a hole a little deeper and 3 x wider than the nursery pot.
  • Add a soil conditioner such as well-rotted manure to the earth removed from the hole if necessary.
  • Remove the plant from its pot and tease out a few of the roots.
  • Dig a planting hole and sprinkle mycorrhizal fungi (Rootgrow) into the base.
  • Place your plant in the hole at the same level at the pot.
  • Refill the hole with the earth removed (backfilling).
  • Firm in the soil with your heel, avoiding the root ball.
  • Water well and mulch around the base of the plant with a collar, compost, gravel, bark etc.

Aftercare Advice:

  • Keep newly planted scabious well-watered until established .
  • Give plants a dressing of fish blood and bone in the autumn.
  • Support with twiggy pea sticks or similar support before the flowers appear.
  • Mulch with well-rotted manure or compost in autumn and keep well-watered.

Pruning Advice:

  • Prune some of the oldest stems back to the ground when they have reached more than a metre, leaving later ones intact.
  • When the newer stems start to flower, take out more to make room for them.
  • Cut down to the ground in autumn.
Delivery Information

Please allow us 3-5 working days to dispatch your order. Pre-ordered items will be sent as soon as possible after the date quoted and we'll generally ship your entire order with your pre-ordered items. When your order is dispatched, we'll send you another email with details of how to track it.

Most orders are sent on a fully-tracked courier service with Yodel. To avoid perishable items being stuck at depots and deteriorating, no signature is required, and our courier is asked to leave your order in a safe place on your property.

We'll send a tracking link when we dispatch your order, so you know when its due to arrive. Please note, once delivered we cannot be held responsible for loss or theft from your property. If you have any specific delivery instructions, please let us know - there's an option to enter a short message for the courier at the checkout.

Smaller, lighter, single-item orders may be sent through the post with Royal Mail - in which case no tracking is available.

Our experienced nursery team will always send your plants nursery fresh in the perfect condition to thrive when you plant them, so although most plants are very tough and will not be affected by all but the most extreme frosts or heatwaves, we avoid dispatching the most perishable plants if extreme weather is forecast, or over Bank Holiday weekends.

Please note, we cannot guarantee delivery on a certain day or time. Delivery to outlying postcode areas may take 1-2 days longer, dependent on your location.

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DOUBLE GUARANTEE TO YOU:
1. If you're not totally happy with your order, return it within 30 days and we'll replace or refund in full!
2. Should any hardy plant fail to thrive thereafter, we'll replace free of charge - you just pay the P&P
ALL MAJOR PAYMENTS ACCEPTED
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