1 Echinops ritro ‘Veitch’s Blue’ A bee magnet and eccentric dried flower, this perennial is a must in the garden. Harvest for drying when the tiny petals have fallen off, then bunch and hang up. Use on its own or with wispy grasses in winter for a dramatic dried bouquet. Height and spread: 1.2m × 50cm. RHS H7, USDA 3a-8b†.
ROISIN TAYLOR Roisin is a cut-flower farmer and florist at Verde Flower Co who grows on a small plot beneath the Tyne Bridge. verdeflowerco.org
2 Nigella damascena A hardy annual with delicate flowers and sculptural seedheads for drying. Sow where you would like it to flower, in a sunny spot in well-drained soil. Use these seedheads for buttonholes or tiny bud-vase joy in autumn and winter. 50cm × 50cm. RHS H3, USDA 2a-ll.
This sprawling, rather weak perennial is a
