Monday 4 August 2014

Last Two Weeks in the Garden and a Flower Quiz

A break from Outer Hebrides Island-hopping
Acanthus mollis - this plant is several years old - delighted that it has finally decided to flower
 I thought that this was a Heuchera but now I am not so sure - it too has flowered for the first time - suggestions welcome. 
Lots of different Morning Glories all grown from seed
These Calla Lilies have survived several winters in a pot outside
Crocosmia lucifer
Lilium davidii
Lilium leichtlinii
There are far too many of these Japanese anemones but I don't have the heart to pull them out - they have grown so tall that they are higher than the drystone wall. Once successfully established they can become rather thuggish
A planter filled with Nasturtium Princess of India and Convolvulus Royal Ensign - seeds poked in the pot and left to their own device

********NOW FOR THE FLOWER QUIZ********

I love this flower and so do the little hover-flies -   I will switch on comments moderation to give everyone a chance - one clue only - this is a macro shot
Answer on 6th August at 12 noon GMT

48 comments:

  1. How can you ever go travelling when you have such beauties to see ( and care for) at home ? As always, your photos are stunning, and their subjects are truly magnificent.

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    1. The garden looks after itself whilst we are away Janice - our biggest fear is lack of rain for the pots, so we mostly never go away for more than 8 days at a time during the summer months - the plants can cope with that if I water them well just before leaving.

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  2. Yes, with such a beautiful garden you cannot go out for long in summer, your flowers look beautiful. I am afraid I do not know the so called Heuchera, but I don't think it is a Heuchera.
    I think I do know the quiz plant, that is a Cimicifuga racemosa.

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    1. Big congratulations Janneke & very well done

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  3. Hello Rosemary,

    Whenever you show images of your garden we are always taken with how healthy and happy your flowers look. Indeed, it is extraordinary to us that your garden seems well able to be self sufficient when you are out and about on your travels. In our gardening days we would be often depressed after even the shortest absence to find devastation and destruction everywhere we looked.

    We do agree that Japanese Anemones can really get a hold in a garden but they remain one of our absolute favourites. They are so elegant but incredibly sturdy and always flower reliably and prolifically. Yours look fabulous, especially so backed by the drystone wall.

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    1. Dear Jane and Lance - if I was being honest I should really show how my sweet peas have run to seed whilst away, and the Red Lily Beetle has been busily mating and laying eggs which have now turned into fat grubs. I must have squashed at least two dozen this morning, and then I went on to remove two sacks full of gone to seed Alchemilla mollis.

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  4. So many beautiful flowers!!! I have no idea what the mystery bloom is, but look forward to finding out. I wish that my anemone would bloom like that, we just have leaves! xx

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    1. I am sure that given time they will flower for you Amy. They are supposed to be very difficult to establish but I have never had a problem, I presume that they must like our oolithic limestone soil - they have even gone under that drystone wall to the other side.

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  5. I have not got a clue about your mystery flower, I'm afraid. It looks a bit shrubby to me somehow, but am probably wrong. Your anemonies are quite early.....

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    1. That may be because it is a macro photo - in reality if is quite elegant.

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  6. Beautiful blooms which look healthy without blemish. The Anemone we grow here, but not so well most years which is a pity....

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    1. I have decided that the Anemone must really like my soil, it will spring up wherever I plant it.

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  7. I won't attempt a guess at the mystery flower - I have absolutely no idea. The other flowers, though, are so beautiful. I was surprised at how many bloom here at Pondside too. Morning Glories we don't plant. They grow wild, choking everything in their path!

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    1. That is so interesting that Morning Glories with you choke everything in their path - here I nurture and care for my Morning Glories like little children - we do have the plain white Convolvulus (bindweed) growing here which is a menace.

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  8. Oh why not. Is it a Snow Star? As you can probably guess..I. am not a gardener! I do love pretty color combinations...and the red and blue together speak to me...Janey

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    1. I may be wrong but I think that a Snow Star for you is probably the Astrantia which is such a pretty little flower, but thank you for having a try.
      The planter of red, white, and blue flowers, I thought would be quite patriotic, but the Nasturtiums are much more orange than I had hoped.

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  9. Lovely photos, I just can't grow anemones I wish I could I love them. xxx

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    1. I have just checked on the Anemones growing instructions because so many people have said that they like them but cannot grow them, and for me I just stick them in the ground and away they go. Apparently they like well drained soil especially through the winter which is what we have living on oolithic limestone. I would suggest that if you want to grow some it would advisable to make a deep hole filled with plenty of grit and some good rich soil. Good luck.

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  10. I have only ever successfully grown morning glories once - they get munched before they have a chance to establish. Yours are lovely. Nasturtiums are one of my favourites they are climbing all over the place at the moment. I have no idea what your mystery flower is. It it is beautiful. As is that pink flower, at first I thought Sidalcea but now I'm not sure.

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    1. Thank you for giving some thought to the two flowers Elaine - the base and leaves of the plant look just like a Heuchera but the flowers I have never come across before.
      I put my Morning Glories in large pots which hopefully keeps the munches at bay.

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  11. Oh, I don't know what the macro plant is. Love all your colourful flowers but again not sure what the mystery one is...although I'm sure I've seen it about. Anemone has gone wild this year.

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    1. Glad that you are successful with the Anemone Suzie, so many have mentioned that they cannot grow it successfully.

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  12. Dear Rosemary,

    As you probably know by now, I'm not a gardener, and I don't have a clue what this handsome flower is. Nonetheless, I will offer up a name — Asteriskus Rosemarium.

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    1. Now, I am wishing that I had been more attentive during the Latin class!!!

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    2. I am seeing each blossum as a great white asterisk, and I think that it's high time that a flower be named after you!

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    3. That would indeed be an honour.

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  13. I am in the unable to establish anemone camp. One has virtually given up but I have two trying to flower although with very little vigour. Thank you for the tip on adding grit... I will definitely try that!

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    1. Hope that it helps Jessica and good luck.

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  14. At first glance I thought it was a white agapanthus, then I considered it to be highly unlikely you would have it in your garden.... in the photo parade my vote goes to lillium davidii.

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    1. You are correct, it is not agapanthus, although I do have the blue ones in the garden. Lilium davidii is a beautiful lily but I have a constant battle with the Red Lily Beetle to prevent their grubs from eating the leaves and stripping the outer flesh from the stems.

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  15. Hello Rosemary

    Your garden is a sight to behold. I know I would love to be sitting and studying all the magnificent flowers. I shall leave the naming to the experts. Thanks for sharing your garden

    Helen xx

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    1. Thank you Helen for your kind comment - this flower quiz has almost, but not quite, eluded everyone.

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  16. Dear Rosemary, It must give you great pleasure to walk through your beautiful garden every day. Not only are your flowers sensational but so are your photographs. I don't know the flower you are asking about. I have spent so much time with annual flowers that I have neglected perennials and that is a shame.

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    1. Dear Gina - I am certainly planting more seeds in the garden these days, I think perhaps I may have been encouraged by your own really colourful displays.
      Only one person has guessed the flower correctly which is unusual as there are usually 4 or 5.

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  17. Beauty everywhere in your lovely garden, I'm jealous! The anemones are awesome and remind me of my late mum who planted them all around and they were so beautiful - then we had to pull out dozens as they 'walked everywhere'.

    The mystery flower looks like a firework exploding - don't think I know it but am curious to hear from someone who does.

    Happy garden days dear Rosemary.
    Mary

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    1. Dear Mary - the anemones do, as you mention, walk - what a lovely expression for them. I would like to have some of the white ones too, but if they walked too, there would be no garden left.
      The mystery flower will be revealed tomorrow.
      Thank you for your kind comment Mary, and happy garden days to you too.

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  18. Miło mi odwiedzać Twój blog :) , jest taki wielotematyczny . Cudne zdjęcia , ciekawe historie , a kwiaty... śliczne :)
    Pozdrawiam serdecznie z Polski

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    1. Dziękuję za bardzo miły komentarz i cieszę się, że jesteś bardzo zadowoleni widząc kwiaty

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  19. I enjoyed the colourful display of flowers in your garden Rosmary. Don't know what the name is of the last flower. It looks really pretty though!

    Madelief x

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    1. Thank you Madelief - I think that perhaps the garden has now reached its peak for this year - slowly things will begin to go down hill now, but at least the fruit, tomatoes and vegetables are yet to be enjoyed.

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  20. I haven´t a clue what that flower can be...
    Well, beautiful pictures and have a great week Rosemary! Take care...
    Love,
    Titti

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    1. Thanks dear Titti - all will be revealled tomorrow.

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  21. So many beautiful blooms, and of course I don't know most of them, Rosemary. The quiz flower is quite a beauty, and I look forward to knowing the answer. Your morning glories are very attractive, and it is a flower I recognize and like. However, in Australia it has become an invasive weed and I don't believe we are even permitted to cultivate it any longer. We see it sometimes smothering the vegetation along creeks in the bush.

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    1. Thank you Patricia - I think that the same thing applies to Morning Glories in parts of the States too. They don't survive the winter here so that is probably the reason why they are a bit exotic to us.

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  22. Hello Rosemary, Beautiful flower pictures as always--at least the ones that are displaying on my screen. For some reason blogs are not showing up properly lately, and I had to go to another browser even to leave this comment!
    --Jim

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    1. That is annoying Jim - computers can be very frustrating from time to time. Our emails were sending but not arriving a couple of weeks ago, and we had to resolve it by talking, with difficulty, to someone on a help line in India.

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  23. Things have been so hectic here I spent no time behind the computer for more than a week and so obviously missed your post and quiz. Oh well.
    So many beautiful blooms in your garden! Don't pull out the Anemones!!! I keep them in containers because they won't do well here in the soil. Treasure them Rosemary. They're standing so proudly against the beautiful wall. Love the Calla Lilies as well; So amazing they survived several winters outside. And the Lilies Davidii are fantastic! Love the variety of Morning Glory in your garden as well. So pretty!
    Marian

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    1. You are not alone being unable to grow the Anemones in your garden Marian, many others have said the same thing - they don't like to have their feet wet in the winter, and I remember that your garden got very muddy last winter. If it rains here, our garden dries out very quickly because we live on oolithic limestone.

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