Wednesday 9 September 2015

Gardeners Question Time???

Hello there, if you ARE there.

As you may or may not know I am the supreme Champion of Gardening Club International, but even we experts are, now and then, seeking help and advice.

OK ... can ANYBODY tell me what these are?

Yes, I know they're some sort of FLOWER.  Why wouldn't I, the Champion, know this ... err, well, maybe, perhaps, or possibly I might be embellishing the truth to say that I'm the Champion.  In fact it would be more truthful to say I'm NOT really the Champion, of anything.

So, ignore the dahlias and concentrate on the clump of greenery with quite a few little white and pinkish flowers. Any ideas?

When I first saw the green leaves popping up all over the place I thought it was the dreaded GROUND ELDER.  But though I pulled a good few of these 'weeds' out I left some to develop as I am NOT a champion gardener at all.  And it seems I was right to leave some in.  Other greenery turns out to be what I call the Chinese Lantern flowers, which I quite like, so they can stay. But the much taller greenery and its small blooms are a mystery to me. 

I quite like them.  They will remain in place.  What might they be, that's the question.  Aye, there's the rub, I've no blooming idea!

HELP!

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

dahlias

Anita said...

Georgine!

Pretty flowers!!Grows everywhere here around!!

Show more of you garden?Nice with flowers :))))
Greetings Anita

PhilipH said...

Anon: Yep, I know the dahlias ... I planted them.

Anita: I've only recently moved to this place. Will hopefully get it in shape later.

Whispermist said...


It's a bit tricky to say with any certainty, but they do resemble Nicotiana, or flowering tobacco, which is a lovely heirloom plant. Try a google search on Nicotiana images to see if they match your plants. Good luck.

Fram Actual said...

Sorry, no suggestions from me, Philip. As I wrote at Anita's blog a few days ago, other than roses and tulips there really are no flowers I can match with their names -- common or scientific. Multiple choice might help.

Everyone should have a hobby or two -- an avocation -- I think. That you enjoy gardening and flowers is cool.

PhilipH said...

Whisper Mist, a big hello and an even BIGGER THANK YOU.

I did as you suggested and you were perfectly correct in your suggestion. This species has quite a few variants of course but there were photos of what looks just like the ones in the garden here.

Well observed my dear Whisper, and thanks again.

PhilipH said...

Hi Fram. Gardening was, once upon a long gone time, something I enjoyed a fair bit. Making rockeries, benches and arbors to support climbing roses, pond making and other arduous jobs were pleasant pastimes.

But now ... more of a chore. Cutting the bit of grass, (can't call it a lawn!), keeping the weeds down and other mundane tasks.

I think everybody loves a decent garden, preferably one where the effort is provided by somebody else.

Thanks for dropping in; always good to hear from you.

Shadow said...

I don't have a "bloomin'" idea either *grin* my policy is thusly: if it's green, it's pretty and it grows, it may stay in my garden. I hope you will be enlightened soon.

The Bug said...

I was going to say Nicotiana too - my dad has some. So pretty!

PhilipH said...

Thanks Shadow and Dana. So pleased to have discovered this plant and that I didn't yank them all out as weeds! Self-seeders too. Lucky me.

Sparkling Red said...

My mother-in-law would call them "volunteers". (That's her nicer word for what other people might call weeds. ;-)

the walking man said...

I think you're asking the wrong question Philip. You should be asking are these plants edible? Are they herb or salad? Or better yet hallucinogenic.

All Consuming said...

Well, you know how skilled I am with plants. I mean I'm world famous for my extensive knowledge, and you've seen my garden so.......erm....they look very nice. Hahahahaha. Do the leaves smell of anything if you crush them? X

PhilipH said...

Sparkling, Mark and Michelle. Many thanks for your valued contribution to my vast knowledge base of things horticultural. I'm deeply touched, as my dear wife has told me many times. Exactly what she was driving escapes me; probably just as well.

Anita said...

Hello Philip!

I just wanted to thank you for the Nice reply on my blog!

You are so very kind:)

Hope all is well With you and Family and that Your flowers still are blooming

Looking forward to Your NeXT post.

Anita

Snowbrush said...

Philip, maybe it snuck in from Syria...

I haven’t seen such a plant, but it immediately impressed as being a probable memory of the nightshade family. I should think that wildflower guides would exist in abundance for your part of the country, so I’m wondering if you’ve look in any of them or taken a sample to a nursery.

PhilipH said...

Thanks Snowy. Discovered it is, in fact, genus Nicotiana, a self-seeding plant.

Snowbrush said...

“Discovered it is, in fact, genus Nicotiana, a self-seeding plant.”

Nicotiana is a nightshade, so I’m pleased that I guessed it. A popular garden flower here is also in the genus Nicotiana, but as you might imagine, it has bigger flowers.