GBBD: Daucus carota

It's high time for another trip to the allotment for Blooms Day so I can show off the frothy dreaminess that is my Daucus carota ssp. sativus in flower, otherwise known as carrots.

When I cleared the plot at the start of the year I was surprised to find a late sowing I'd made last autumn had not only come through unscathed - despite winter's harshness - but had also started to grow again. As carrots (like their parsnip cousins) are biennial plants, I thought it would be fun to see what happened to them if I left them to their own devices.

This is my reward: chest high creamy flowers in profusion with a most heavenly scent. Lots of insects seem to like them too. Tomorrow I'll cut some to put in a vase when I get home. We have visitors coming to stay from Australia next week: it'll be interesting to see if they can guess what these are.

Do you have any surprise blooms this year?

Garden Bloggers' Blooms Day is hosted by Carol at May Dreams Garden.

Comments

  1. Chris15 July 2011 at 09:05

    Hi VP

    Left the Parsnips in from last year which have lovely yellow flowers when they run to seed. Although the Parsnips were HUGE, it was like cutting into pine wood.

    I grow my carrots in drums, two feet high to avoid the dreaded carrot fly (they don't fly any higher than that apparently). It works!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Carol Michel15 July 2011 at 12:05

    Around here, when wild carrots bloom, we call it Queen Anne's Lace and it is everywhere along the roadsides and in fields. It's pretty, though. Thanks for joining in for bloom day!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Diane at My Cottage Garden15 July 2011 at 12:22

    They must also be in the same family as the Giant Hogweed then.....only the hogweed get much taller.

    Pretty.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Janet/Plantaliscious15 July 2011 at 12:31

    Those really are lovely, well worth the experiment. I discovered that radishes have rather pretty flowers, but this was a little tainted by the realisation that I'd forgotten to pick and eat them...

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anna15 July 2011 at 21:25

    Another gorgeous umbel. No real surprise blooms for me this year - well so far :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Larry16 July 2011 at 03:01

    I hadn't thought of the Queen Anne's Lace that grows so prolifically along our roadsides this year... a bit early but of course it looks just like your photo... so beautiful! Larry

    ReplyDelete
  7. Town Mouse16 July 2011 at 03:12

    Ha, I have surprises every day! The California fuchsia started blooming in the front garden a week ago - very early. But I do like this one, and it's one I haven't had yet.

    Happy bloom day!

    ReplyDelete
  8. VP16 July 2011 at 08:44

    Chris - like you I've let the parsnip run to seed too. They're great flowers and Cleve West used some from his allotment on his best in show garden at Chelsea this year. I won't be eating these carrots - they'll also be very woody by now. Try leaving some of your leeks sometime - the bees will loveyou for it :)

    Carol - we have the common name Queen Anne's Lace on this side of the pond too. However, over here it doesn't refer to the wild carrot, but to another umbellifer - Cow Parsley aka Anthriscus sylvestris. Shows how we need to be careful in our use of common names sometimes!

    Diane and Larry - welcome! Yes it's the same family. I was looking at the Giant Hogweed at the Chelsea Physic Garden recently. When it's just started growing in spring, it's almost indistinguishable from sweet cicely.

    Janet - I've let winter radish go to seed. The pods are extremely hot!

    Anna - well worth seeing what happens with our crops :)

    Town Mouse - thanks for your good wishes :) California Fuschia's been a surprise find for me this year. I found it growing over the wall of our local Methodist church's garden in the centre of Chippenham recently. It looks fantastic and I'm thinking of planting some in a sunny terrace in my garden.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Ronnie@hurtledto6015 July 2012 at 17:57

    It's a surprise I have any blooms this year! Thank you for sharing you GBBD.

    ReplyDelete

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