Foxglove

Also: Cosmos, Ornamental Basil. Zinnia, Seed Dahlias, Echinacea, Gomphrena, Sweet Pea, and more.

Let’s talk about Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea):

The gossip I heard is that fairies enchanted this flower for foxes to slip onto their paws, rendering their steps so silent they could easily steal chickens from the henhouse. This might be a bit slanderous, especially when you consider this little one, who clearly donned his natty slippers to steal a few Zs on some pre-warmed eggs.

While I’m working in the garden, I like to watch the chubby bumblebees hover into the Foxglove bells, which seem to behave like bee tractor beams. This is bad for business, or course, because once the bells are pollinated, they stop production. I often race with the bees to cut before the bells are discovered, and they’re known to follow me (and my flower bucket) out of the foxglove patch for another go. I have a lot of sympathy for them; were I a bee, I’d try and move in semi-permanently—think of the Instagram!

Warning to bees, foxes, humans, and pets: Foxglove is the basis of the drug Digoxin, which can mess with your heart’s rhythm, so handle with care. Not sure if the fairies had anything to do with that— I don’t think irregular atrial rhythm is on their radar, but you never know.