The Oriental poppies are out in all their devastating silk-ballgown gorgeousness. First off was the un-named double crimson in the scree garden in perfect partnership with the silvery Pulsatilla seedheads.

Next up was the huge single orange near the stock bed, with flowers almost a foot across – but they couldn’t take the heavy rain on Tuesday and the flowers fell apart. I’ll have to wait for a new bud to open to get a picture.

Patty’s Plum sensibly waited until the sun came out today to show its class.

And the buds look sensational too.

The huge red Goliath Group poppies in the stock bed gave me my best picture of the day – in fact one of my best ever pictures, I think. I’ve finally started using a tripod and it does make a huge difference. For a start, I stand still for longer and pay more attention to the image.

Back on the subject of idents, a message for the kady who came in yesterday with a query about the pink, low growing plant in the top border that looks a little like the sticky bud weed, Cleavers. It’s Phuopsis stylosa.

And a new question! This is Astrantia major subsp. involucrata. But I’ve never seen one with such long petals. Can anyone confirm if this is a this a normal variation within the species?

May 29, 2008