Layers of texture in scabious flowercraft

The softly domed blooms of field scabious bring subtle colour and layers of texture to summer arrangements

all in the name Bobbing on the end of tall, slender stems, the pillowy lilac flowers of field scabious, Knautia arvensis, decorate grassland, meadows and banks from July to summer’s end. They are also known as blue bonnets, gypsy rose and lady’s pincushion, due to their pom-pom like blooms and pin-shaped stamen. In contrast to the dainty, soft flowerheads, the stalks are rough and hairy, resembling the texture of scabby skin. According to the medieval herbalists’ Doctrine of Signatures, the plant was once used as a treatment for mange and scabies, an association which may have resulted in its common name. Another name, bachelor’s buttons, may refer to a more pleasant tradition where young girls would pick scabious, name them after suitors and choose the one which flowered first.