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Description
In 2009 I saw a Teasel growing on an industrial building site, it was in it's second year and, being a bi-annual, the year it flowers and creates seed. I looked around and found just one young plant and dug it up before the diggers moved in. The following year this beautiful plant flowered and attracted bees and butterflies all summer long. When the autumn came and the flowers dried and produced seed I collected them and sowed them in all the places I could find around the farm I live on, in places where they wouldn't be disturbed by the plough or other farming activities. I've done the same every year since, spreading them far and wide beyond the farm and giving thousands of seeds to gardening friends. Why? Because it is a favourite of all nectar loving insects and so attracts butterflies and bees all summer long. It's seeds are also eaten by the Goldfinch, one of the few birds able to tackle the spiky defence of the seed head.The Teasel itself is quite spectacular and beautiful reaching heights of around 2m plus, or wellover 6ft. It's leaf nodes always seem to have water collected in them, even in the driest summers, like the one we've just enjoyed. Birds come and enjoy this reservoir when they can't find water anywhere else, the dead plant, it's dried head full of seeds will survive the stormiest winter and self seed year after year, attracting beautiful birds and insects.

Description
In 2009 I saw a Teasel growing on an industrial building site, it was in it's second year and, being a bi-annual, the year it flowers and creates seed. I looked around and found just one young plant and dug it up before the diggers moved in. The following year this beautiful plant flowered and attracted bees and butterflies all summer long. When the autumn came and the flowers dried and produced seed I collected them and sowed them in all the places I could find around the farm I live on, in places where they wouldn't be disturbed by the plough or other farming activities. I've done the same every year since, spreading them far and wide beyond the farm and giving thousands of seeds to gardening friends. Why? Because it is a favourite of all nectar loving insects and so attracts butterflies and bees all summer long. It's seeds are also eaten by the Goldfinch, one of the few birds able to tackle the spiky defence of the seed head.The Teasel itself is quite spectacular and beautiful reaching heights of around 2m plus, or wellover 6ft. It's leaf nodes always seem to have water collected in them, even in the driest summers, like the one we've just enjoyed. Birds come and enjoy this reservoir when they can't find water anywhere else, the dead plant, it's dried head full of seeds will survive the stormiest winter and self seed year after year, attracting beautiful birds and insects.