Mysterious Flower in Ireland

While in Ireland last summer, we went through the formal gardens of a castle by a lake. The gardens were behind the castle and quite a hike uphill from the land. The flowers were beautiful! I took a lot of photographs, some of flowers I couldn't identify, including this mysterious one. This is probably because Ireland is farther north than Mississippi and has a much cooler climate; therefore, flowers that grow beautifully there can't tolerate the heat of the South. I found out that this is the flower bud just before it opens into a beautiful ball of tiny star-shaped flowers.

This photograph was taken on a cloudy day (as most of our days in Ireland were), so the photograph is mostly in cool colors except for the purple flowers in the background. Some of the buds seemed to glow with a blue iridescence. Not knowing the name of the flower, I couldn't easily search for it, so I joined an online botanical group, posted the photo and asked for help. Within one day someone had identified it as Globe Thistle. They don't grow in the Gulf Coast region, but so remember seeing one in Michigan a few years ago, although it was much larger. I wish I could grow them here.

Because I like the flower, I have designed a note card using this image and will place it in the shops where my art work is sold.