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
Lovely photo, Ivy berries? or perhaps a fatsia?
ReplyDeleteGaz Alternative Eden
Hi Gaz - thanks - they are similar aren't they? It's ivy :)
ReplyDeleteYes very similar, quite a few of the various relatives are also very similar too
DeleteThe plant looks quite cosy in a chilly sort of way :-)
ReplyDeleteEG - I think snow's meant to be quite a good insulator if memory serves me correctly. I'm hoping it's the case for my salads!
ReplyDeleteOh your ivy is toying with you peeking out like that.
ReplyDeleteI think snow is a good insultator its the damp in winter thats the problem so if we have lots of rain and low temperatures you are more likely to loose your salads
Now you see me, now you don't - snow adds a most exciting dimension to plants - looks like a creature that you might come across in 'Dr Who' :)
ReplyDeletePG - it certainly is ;) The salads are mostly under cloches and cold frames so they should be OK.
ReplyDeleteAnna - it certainly does. I'm also most taken with the snow 'hats' my Echinops seed heads are sporting at the moment :)
That's the peek all my plants are giving me these days.
ReplyDeleteCommonweeder - we're in the thaw now, so mine are coming out of hiding ;)
ReplyDeletePeekaboo to you - must catch up spoon. Hope all is well
ReplyDeleteTBS - it's exciting times - catching up sounds good :)
ReplyDelete