Achillea millefolium Pastel Mixed
Achillea millefolium Pastel Mixed
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Achillea millefolium 'Pastel Mixed' Seeds
If you find bright, shouting colours a bit too much, the 'Pastel Mixed' Yarrow is the antidote. This stunning mix produces large, flat flower heads in a spectrum of soft, sun-bleached shades: think warm terracotta, creamy apricot, dusty pink, pale lemon, and soft lilac.
It creates a relaxed, sophisticated "meadow" look that fits perfectly into the modern cottage garden. Beyond its beauty, it is a survival expert. It thrives in poor soil, laughs at droughts, and is absolutely covered in bees and butterflies from June right through to the first frosts.
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🌿 Understanding the Plant
Achillea millefolium is a Hardy Perennial.
While the wild white Yarrow is a common sight in British hedgerows, this selected strain offers all the toughness of the native plant but with a designer colour palette. The colours often start deeper and slowly fade as the flower ages, giving the plant a lovely multi-tonal, textured appearance.
The "Flat" Flower: The horizontal, plate-like shape of Yarrow is essential in garden design to break up the "spikes" and "dots" of other flowers.
🌱 Growing Guide: How to Sow and Grow
Yarrow is low-maintenance and easy to grow from seed.
Germination:
Sow indoors from February to April, or direct sow in autumn. Surface sow onto moist compost and do not cover (seeds need light to germinate). Keep warm (15-20°C). Germination takes 10-14 days.
Where to Sow:
Plant out after the last frost. It demands full sun and well-drained soil. Do not add manure or fertilizer—Achillea prefers "lean" soil. If you feed it too much, it will grow too tall and flop over.
Care While Growing:
Division: Every 3 years, dig up the clump in spring and split it into smaller pieces. This keeps the plant vigorous and stops the centre from dying out.
📋 Plant Specifications
| Latin Name | Achillea millefolium 'Pastel Mixed' |
| Common Name | Yarrow / Milfoil |
| Hardiness | H7 (Very Hardy Perennial) |
| Light Required | Full Sun ☀️ |
| Height | ↕️ 60cm - 70cm |
| Spread | ↔️ 60cm (Clump forming) |
| Spacing | 🌱 45cm apart |
| Great for | ✂️ Cut Flowers 🍂 Dried Flowers ☀️ Drought Gardens 🐝 Wildlife |
| Seed Count | Approx. 1000 seeds per packet |
🤝 Perfect Garden Companions
The warm, muted tones of 'Pastel Mixed' work best with other soft-textured plants:
- 🌾 Mexican Feather Grass (Stipa): The Meadow Look. The blonde, wispy grass blends seamlessly with the apricot and straw tones of the Yarrow, creating a "Golden Hour" effect all day long.
- 🔴 Knautia macedonica: The Ruby Dot. The deep crimson buttons of Knautia float on thin stems, providing a dark, rich accent that stops the pastel Yarrow from looking too washed out.
📅 Sowing & Flowering Calendar
Sow indoors Spring/Autumn. Flowers June to September.
| Month | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sow Indoors | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🟢 | |||||||
| Plant Out | 🌱 | 🌱 | ||||||||||
| Flowers | 🌸 | 🌸 | 🌸 | 🌸 |
⚠️ Drying Tip
The flat heads dry brilliantly. Cut them when the flowers are fully open, remove leaves, and hang upside down. They dry to a beautiful, muted straw/sepia tone that looks amazing in autumn wreaths.
🏆 Officially Recognised Excellence
Achillea is a biodiversity booster. It is listed on the RHS Plants for Pollinators list, attracting hoverflies and ladybirds which act as natural pest control in the garden.
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