Scabiosa, also known as pincushion flower, look absolutely darling. Seriously, these flowers are so cute. When I first started growing them in the cut flower garden, they quickly became one of my absolute favorite flowers. The good news is, they are also very easy to grow. Whether winter sowing scabiosa or direct sowing, becoming successful with these flowers is really easy.
When I first started gardening, I felt incredibly intimidated every time that I decided to grow something new. As a total beginner gardener, I was so confused by the process of planting flowers and their needs. As it happens, scabiosa flowers are a cool season flower. This means that they grow best before the hot summer temperatures arrive.
This factor gives us a couple options in the garden. I usually make two planting per season – one in the fall and one in the winter. While the fall planting will need the protection of a low tunnel to grow, those growing in winter sowing containers will bloom with ease. Once winter sowing has started in February, the seeds will begin to germinate fairly quickly. Though these flowers are cold hardy to some degree, I like to wait until February to start winter sowing because the seedlings seem to be somewhat fragile before they start to become established.
Transplanting the scabiosa out into the garden is easy. I’ve never had a problem with loss due to transplant shock. As the spring weather continues to warm, the plants will begin to stretch and bloom. Fantastic!