Cerinthe major is one of my favourite bee-friendly flowers in the garden at the moment.
Cerinthe Major Purpurascens
Tag: annual
Quaking Grass
I love quaking grass or Briza media. I love the way it bobs around in the slightest of summer breezes and the way it turns a golden buff colour as it matures. I even love the way it obliging re-sows itself for the following year.Continue reading
Blooming Flowers Out of Sync
Between Christmas and New Year I always like to wander round the garden to see what is in flower in the middle of winter. This year, as well as the usual winter flowering plants that I would expect to see, there were some unexpected surprises like lavender and roses, that shouldn’t be flowering in December!
Plectranthus argentatus ‘Silver Shield’
The thick silver-grey velvety leaves of Plectranthus argentatus make it a perfect foil when planted with dark leafed plants or strong contrasting flowers.Continue reading
Sunflowers: To Deadhead or Not to Deadhead?
The bright yellow faces of the sunflowers are such a cheerful sight, but the dilemma facing gardeners is whether or not to deadhead the spent flowers.
Nicandra physaloides (Shoo fly)
Easily grown from seed, Nicandra physaloides is an annual which reaches approximately a metre in height.Continue reading
Poppy seed head
I love the dried seed heads almost as much as I do the flowers! Poppy seed heads are particularly attractive and I leave some on the plants well into the autumn to provide interest in the border. Sometimes I’ll pick some to use in dried flower arrangements indoors. The seeds will self-sow in the garden.
Nicotiana (Tobacco Plant)
The nicotianas are a riot of colour at the moment and as evening draws near, the smell they emit is divine!
I grew these from seed – actually they were in a packet labelled busy lizzie, but I could tell they weren’t! I have way more than I need, but they have made such an impact on the garden.
Impatiens Seeds (Busy Lizzie)
Busy Lizzie flowers are easy to grow plants for your summer pots and bedding. At the end of the summer, you can collect the seed heads and you will have a supply of seeds for the following year.
When the seed pods are ripe you can just gently touch the seed capsule and they explode, catapulting the seeds out! This is a macro shot of the inside of the popped capsule.
Nemphila maculata (Five Spot Flower)
This is a pretty little annual flower which is very easy to grow from seed and is ideal for hanging baskets or shady places. Each flower has five petals, each one with a deep blue spot at the tip – hence the name. As you can see from this picture the bees love the flowers!
