Jack Go To Bed At Noon
Last year this rather exotic looking flower appeared on mine and several other allotments for the first time. Having been stumped (again) by Mr Allotment Warden as to its identity, I rushed home to find out what it was. It's salsify, aka the marvellous Jack Go To Bed At Noon - named as such because its flowers always close by midday. Here you can see both open and closed flowers - making it seem even more exotic and alien than in the first picture. I think this must be the cultivated version because the flower in my Francis Rose Wild Flower Key looks exactly the same in form, but is bright yellow in colour and called meadow salsify . Its other common name is Goatsbeard, which must be a nod to the fantastic dandelion-like clock which forms the seed head. With 'parachutes' like those shown above, who knows how far our plotted plants came from. I rather like the photographic dissection of the seedhead found in this link . Salsify is edible: its lateral shoots and fl
I only watched two episodes: most of the others, though recorded, got deleted either unwatched or halfway in when I lost the will to live!
ReplyDeleteThat said, I'd be very interested to visit the ones in China and was very envious of his access to the private ones in Japan. You can't beat Japan (and the episode made me cry *and* featured some cherry blossom which I saved to show Maggie)
(PS I've just thought if you haven't trawled through all my years of archives - and why would you?! - then M was born in Japan at the height of the cherry-blossom season. Hence the cherry interest!)
ReplyDeleteHope you enjoy the account of our coffee at Poundbury.
ReplyDeleteESTHER IN THE GARDEN (21st April)
It was great meeting you!
Esther
Really! Obviously some one can't count! I watched most of the programmes which I thoroughly enjoyed although many of the gardens were not to my liking!
ReplyDeleteI'd like to visit the Abbey Garden on Tresco again to have a proper look round now that I'm more than an armchair gardener at long last! xx
Must admit I would have liked more gardens and a little less Monty looking into the middle distance with his notebook.
ReplyDeletei cannot watch Monty Don
ReplyDeleteSo I cannot comment.
Regards
Karen
I didn't watch this series as I am biased towards British gardens. I would like to visit Christopher Lloyd's garden at Great Dixter. I have liked what I have seen on the TV and it is fairly local to us. x
ReplyDeleteI missed the series. How would you rate the book ? I quite like monty
ReplyDeleteI watched most of the series but preferred soeme episodes to others. I particularly found the Aussie episode interesting and the S Africa one. I was disappointed with the USA episode as he seemed to imply that all the Americans do is care about their front lawns and we know from all the gardening blogs that this simply isnt true
ReplyDeleteLisa - I kept on falling asleep half way through the programme! I also got very irritatted during the Japan programme, thinking he wasn't going to show the cherry blossom and then it got an all too brief mention - grrrr! And yes, I have read some of your stuff about Japan - I'm very envious of your travels!
ReplyDeleteEsther - I did & I hope you enjoyed mine!
Flighty - good choice!
Frankie - I quite agree, see my comment for Lisa...
Karen - looks like we all can't watch Monty Don at the mo, so you can safely watch GW over the next few weeks
Louise - that's one on my list too, shame Christopher Lloyd is no longer there though
Dee - welcome! I find MD troublesome as a presenter, but as a writer he's much better. I haven't finished the book yet (it came very late after GW magazine had a mix up with me and my subscription freebie book), but I'd say already it's much better than the programme. I haven't fallen asleep yet whilst reading it ;)
Helen - I loved the Aussie episode as I love the Sydney Botanic Gardens. I also liked the S American one.