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Plant identification and delphiniums

karenktekarenkte Posts: 47
in Plants
Hello,
I'd like help on the four plants below.  One is a rose (shrub) which I'd really like to know the name on, another is a really large yellow plant with huge leaves, the pink one is like an annual to me but it just popped up in the border on it's own and I've not planted it, the last one is a very tall plant which looked like phlox but isn't as they have flowered now whereas this one has not and it's much taller than the phlox.

Finally I would like some deliphiniums for next year.  I was going to buy seeds and grow now but I'm sure I saw on Geoff Hamilton cottage gardens ages ago that you are best to buy a plant rather than seed to ensure you get the perfect variety.  Is this right?
thanks,


Posts

  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    I always grow my delphiniums from bought seed, I think he probably meant if you collect your own seed they may turn out a different colour. 

    The bright  pink flower is a petunia, the orange one is Montbretia  they call it Crocosmia now I think.

    Cant see what the tall one is from that photo. 

    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • rachelQrtJHBjbrachelQrtJHBjb Posts: 819
    Does the tall one have yellow flowers? Wonder if it's a solidago aka golden rod?
  • ButtercupdaysButtercupdays Posts: 4,546
    The bright pink flower is a petunia, and yes, it is an annual.
    The yellow one is an inula. I. hookeri and I. magnifica both have those thin petals, but are very different sizes, though I suspect it may be another variety altogether - there are lots of them.
    The tall plant might perhaps be one of the Michaelmas daisies, Asters/Symphoritrichum as they are late flowering and some varieties do grow very tall.
    The leaves vary slightly between varietiies, so if you do get flowers you might be able to make a tentative ID. Again, there are lots of them!

    As for the delphinium, you will need to buy a plant if you want a particular variety, as many are hybrids that won't come true from seed.
    You can get seed in mixtures and and one or two specific colours but they are fairly slow to raise from seed and you need decent size plants to put out because slugs absolutely love them! I've got some I'm growing on from a sowing last autumn, as I wanted enough to make a drift in a large border, but they won't go in until next spring, with plenty of slug protection :)
    If you only want a few, and want them next year then buying plants is your best bet.
  • Mary370Mary370 Posts: 2,003
    Can someone please tell me the secret to growing delphiniums from seed?   
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