Five lovely bloggers got it correct - in the order that they arrived.........
Celia Hart at purple podded peas
Paul at magical christmas wreath
Marijke at mÿn kleine paradÿs
Val at Val's Alentejo and
Anna at a taste of Italy
Marijke at mÿn kleine paradÿs
Val at Val's Alentejo and
Anna at a taste of Italy
congrats to the winners.
ReplyDeleteits a beautiful flower.
val
You did very well Val - congrats to you.
DeleteBummer I missed the quiz because I actually know this one ;) We have quite a few Horse Chestnuts near my family home in Virginia.
ReplyDeleteDid you like to play 'conkers' as a little boy?
DeleteDon't remember playing conkers. But I'll check with mom this weekend when I visit! Gosh, it's been so long...
DeleteI have a feeling playing conkers is a British thing. You harden the seed or nut off, then drill a hole through it which you pass a string through. Knotting the string at the bottom, boys then try to hit each others conkers until one of the smashes.
DeleteNo, I would never have guessed it ! I even have a whole street nearby filled with flowering Aesculus x carnea , but didn't make the connection :(
ReplyDeleteSometime when things are taken out of their context they are not so recognisable.
DeleteThat wasn't an easy one. I think everyone has seen the flowers from afar since they're so high in the tree. How on earth did you photograph them from so closeby? I'm imagining you standing on a ladder, camera at hand, a true circus artist, photographing these flowers for us.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to all the clever people who got it right.
Marian
I was surprised so many people got it right. This tree is in our garden and some of the flower spikes are quite low down. It was a bit windy when I took the photo so I did get on a small 'two-step' ladder, you are right. Your comment made me smile - thanks.
DeleteWell, of course!! I looked and I looked - and then I came back and looked again. It niggled at me something awful. We have a horse chestnut right out front!
ReplyDeleteI expect that you were thinking along the lines of a flower from the border not a flower on a tree.
DeleteI have this tree in my garden, I must look into my garden for the answer. Sometimes it is so easy.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations for the winners!
Have a nice day,
Inge, my choice
Dear Inge - thank you for giving it a go - close up the flower spikes are really very interesting.
DeleteOf course!
ReplyDeleteI metaphorically slap my forehead with the palm of my hand.
I was sure I had seen these flowers somewhere. Conker trees are all over the place here - I see them everyday.
A very clever quiz, Rosemary!
I knew you would metaphorically, of course, slap your forehead with the palm of your hand when you knew the answer.
DeleteHi Rosemary--I was fooled by the close-up into thinking that these were large, single flowers, although I should have known better. Looking for an exotic answer, I never considered the familiar!
ReplyDeleteWhen we were little, we used to collect the nuts, although they are not edible. Unfortunately, real chestnut trees are long gone from Ohio, at least mature ones that bear nuts.
--Road to Parnassus, an old Buckeye
Dear Jim - I didn't realise that you were a 'Buckeye' - we call the 'nuts' conkers. You didn't string them when you were a young 'Buckeye' and play the game of conkers like the boys here do?
DeleteFancy that! A Horse Chestnut - didn't recognize it by the flower only.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know whether or not they grew in Tasmania so that is interesting to know.
DeleteHorse chestnut trees have such beautiful blooms. Beautiful!
ReplyDeleteA row of white and then red blossoming Horse Chestnut trees makes a lovely show.
DeleteWhen the flowers are taken out of context it is much more difficult to recognise them.
ReplyDeleteI could never find it Rosemary, there are no chestnuts here and I have never observed them in the mountains.But I assure you, I'll never forget it from now!
ReplyDeleteDear Olympia - you could not be expected to recognise something that you have never seen - I wasn't sure which countries they grew in - Greece is probably too hot and dry for them, they prefer a more temperate climate.
DeleteAlways love your round pictures, very unique.
ReplyDeleteGreetings,
Filip
Thanks Filip and Kristel - are you having a wonderful trip?
DeleteActually... I'll be modest: "Well donet to me! You are not that useless, after all!" That's me talking to myself...
ReplyDeleteWOW! I'm just glad I got the answer to one of your quizzes! You know, my High Scholl, in Italy, was located in a Corso (Avenue) and all the trees were "Ippocastano" Horse chestnut! At the time, I didn't know that the nuts could be of any use, then... I learnt all about "conkers!" You see? Everything has a use. I wonder if horses eat horse chestnuts?
CIAO!
ANNA
Very well done Anna - I am really pleased that you got it right. I do not know where the "horse" bit comes from, but conkers are poisonous so horses wouldn't eat them. Playing conkers is the only use for them, but I think that may be a British thing only.
DeleteI read on wikipedia that if horses do eat them they can cause tremors and lack of coordination, but apparently deer are able to break down the toxins and eat them safely.
Dear Rosemary - Thanks for today's lesson; I never knew where the Ohio nickname came from!
ReplyDeleteDear Mark - the internet is a great learning tool.
DeleteWheeeeeeeeeeee! *Waves imaginary flag*
ReplyDeleteI did some scouting and found the neighbouring Red Chestnut to also have the same colour morph, you learn something new everyday. Thanks Rosemary:).
Glad you had a eureka moment Paul and I bet it is something you will never forget - the internet is a great learning tool.
DeleteI simply adore the white towers the blossoms build on the chestnut tree, thanks for the tip about the diff name in the States! happy rest of the new week!
ReplyDeleteThe flower spikes remind me of candles rather like a christmas tree, but in the early summer.
DeleteHi Rosemary! I'm surprised your quiz proved tricky.
ReplyDeleteI think perhaps people are not quite so well acquainted with their flowers as you are.
DeleteI will come up with another one at some stage.