When to plant:
(In the UK, In Pots/Containers, Seeds

Echinops bannaticus 'Taplow Blue' flowers between July and August and new seeds need to be sown midway through spring, or root cuttings under cover during winter.

How to plant:
(In the UK, In Pots/Containers)
Echinops bannaticus 'Taplow Blue' can be sown by seed, division or root cutting. Root cutting and division can be sown / grown in a large container and transplanted to the spoil when more established if wished, the seeds can be sown directly into the flower bed.

How to grow:
(In Pots/Container, from seed/cuttings, in the UK)
Echinops bannaticus 'Taplow Blue' can be grown either directly into the flower bed (best for seed sowing) or into planting tubs. Whichever site is most suitable for an individual garden, do ensure that the soil type is correct for this plant and is poor, well-drained soil.

Caring for:
(In Spring/Summer/Autumn & Winter, In Pots, In the UK)

To prevent self-seeding it is important to deadhead as soon as the flowers have died off in the autumn.
While the Echinops bannaticus 'Taplow Blue' is not known to be vulnerable to disease they are phone to aphid so it is important to be vigilant.
For these plants to survive it is important that they receive adequate sunlight, this needs to be remembered when choosing a site for soil planting.
The Echinops bannaticus 'Taplow Blue' does tend to become over congested so do lift and divide sections in the spring or autumn as required, regardless of whether the divisions are to be used for replanting or are to be composted.

Where to plant:

The Echinops bannaticus 'Taplow Blue' works well in most flower borders and best  suits an informal garden. As it is a low maintenance plant there is no need to plant near the front of a border.
Do ensure that where the Echinops bannaticus 'Taplow Blue' is planted is not overly shaded and has the type of soil specific to its needs

What to plant with:
Echinops bannaticus 'Taplow Blue' is a hardy plant with beautiful blue flower heads and dark green prickly leaves . A striking plant, the Echinops bannaticus 'Taplow Blue' would look fantastic against a hedge backdrop or in the centre of a flower border, mixing with grasses, white, blue and even purple plants such as lavender.

How to propagate:
(Cuttings/Seeds etc)

Echinops bannaticus 'Taplow Blue' canbe propagated in a number of ways. It can be sown directly into the ground via seeds or into pots after root division which takes place in spring and autumn or via root cuttings which can be planted under cover in the late winter.

Companion/Combination plants for:
Echinops bannaticus 'Taplow Blue' is an attractive plant and would look good against many different backgrounds and with a variety of different flowering plants. Two varieties that have been flagged up as excellent companion plants for the Echinops bannaticus 'Taplow Blue' are Echinacea purpura (white lustre) and Cynara cardunculus.

Is Echinops bannaticus 'Taplow Blue' hardy:
Echinops bannaticus 'Taplow Blue' is fully hardy, requiring very little maintenance and has little vulnerability. This is a plant that thrives in most soil types and does not need to be brought under cover during the winter months.

Other types:
There are approximately one hundred and twenty species of thistles within the Asteraceae, or the daisy family which is where Echinops hails from. The plants in this family are indigenous to east and central Asia, south Africa, along the mountain line, and across Europe.