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
Fantastic, and what an amazing view in the background. A really lovely spot.
ReplyDeleteAnd this was on a relatively dull day CJ, imagine what it would be like when it's sunny :)
DeleteIt looks spectacular!
ReplyDeleteIt was - very much using your estate to convey how much power you have like Blenheim does so effectively.
ReplyDeleteWe were at Powis Castle last week, which was spectacular too. You would have loved the giant cannas and aeoniums in the terrace borders :)
Wow! Stood in the same spot VP a few years ago - isn't it fabulous :)
ReplyDeleteIt certainly is Anna - this was taken this time last year :)
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DeleteWow... now that is a grand entrance and an amazing viewpoint! It reminds me of Disneyland Paris back in 2000 with its entrance to mark the millennium of small hexagonal paving tiles with peoples names on them (at a cost). The hills in the background act like the castle at Disneyland :-)
ReplyDeleteHi Shirley - I see what you mean! The hills in the background are the Wicklow mountains which dominate the scenery over several counties in Ireland. The highest one in the photo is the Great Sugar Loaf, which you can see easily from Dublin and from where we were staying in Wicklow.
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