Eryngium.

The Eryngium, or sea holly, is a genus with about 250 species around the world but most of them come from south America. This unknown garden variety is probably closely related to those naturally occurring in Britain. It is a very prickly customer, on a par with the Scottish thistle, and was reputedly used as a food though who, or what, would be likely to take a fancy to it I do not know.

The flowers are a good source of nectar and the specimens in our garden are covered in bumblebees when they are open though, to my eyes, it is virtually impossible to see that they are in flower.

The honey bees in the garden had a slightly rude awakening this morning as I had to disturb them to put a feeder on the hive; they settled very quickly and took some of the syrup I gave them, and were soon flying strongly in the comparatively nice weather, they'd far rather have the food that nature offers than the white sugar that I gave them. I'm happy with that as my prepared feed is only intended to help them when they cannot forage, either because the weather isn't suitable or because there is a shortage of nectar as often happens at this time of the year. This is a phenomenon known as "the June gap," a period when either dry weather prevents plants from producing nectar or because there is a break in the progression between the different varieties of flower blossoming.