Astrantia 'Rubra'

You will be the envy of all with this much sought after floral masterpiece is adored by both gardeners and florists. The beneficial insects love them too.

The cute little wine red domed umbels and red bracts are a real stand out and open in abundance. They can last for months (for us, usually Nov-Jan/Feb). The flower heads grow to around 3cm and unfurl on red stems. They last well in a vase and can also be dried.

These herbaceous perennials have a nice upright form with a mound of basal foliage. The mid to dark green leaves are serrated and deeply divided, forming a handsome mound beneath the blooms.

Plant in moderately fertile to humus rich moist soil in a full sun to part shade position out of the hot afternoon sun. They need to be kept moist during active growth for best results. They will resent you if they are left to dry out. The longer they have to establish the more floriferous they tend to be.

Remove spent flowers to tidy and encourage even more to bloom.

The blooms can set seed so you can share them with friends and family, or keep them all to yourself. There will likely be some variation in the bloom colour with pink or white shades, but they can still be a welcome addition. If you don't want them to seed simply snip them when they finish blooming. They are by no means invasive.

It will grow at a moderate pace to form a nice healthy clump with underground stolons that can be divided as required in spring and these will flower true to type.

They will even grow in pots but you need to remember to water.