Sunday, 28 August 2011

Fickle Phoebe!

During the week, my beloved rescued a plant from one of his sporting clubs. It was growing where there is due to be some ground clearing work done and, being soft hearted, he couldn't bear to think that such a beautiful plant, growing stubbornly in a little patch of chalky soil, would be destroyed. By the time he managed to bring it home the bloom on it had sadly dropped off but I knew from his enthusiasm that Fickle Phoebe was worth trying to save. We potted her in some chalky soil and tucked her into a quiet spot in the garden with fingers tightly crossed. Despite careful watering, not too much and not too little while she settles in, the leaves and buds have been up and down more often than I could keep track of - one minute wilted and then suddenly perking up again - with no real rhyme nor reason. Hence the name Fickle Phoebe!

This morning our patience was spectacularly rewarded:
The light here is grim, it's a dull day and the colour is much more vibrant in real life - but I just nipped out and caught one ecstatic bumble bee - having a whale of a time now that Phoebe has opened one flower to show how gorgeous she can be if she tries!

I'm almost sure she's a peony poppy and truly beautiful with it!

Happy, happy Sunday!

Di 
x

12 comments:

  1. Yep - I'm with you there Di . . . a trully beautiful speciment. Looks Peony-like to me!

    Hugs Sarn xxx

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  2. It's a beautiful double poppy - and it's a stunner. All that hard work has paid off - they don't transplant well. I hope you save the seeds for next year. Want to know more, here's a link:

    http://www.beginner-gardening.com/pink-double-poppy.html

    Elizabeth x

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  3. Thanks Elizabeth - I'll be hopping over there, just as soon as I finish jumping up and down on this humpy mat!!! Di xx

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  4. Oh how lovely Di. Do save her seeds :-)
    Hugs,
    A x

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  5. Di, this is truly beautiful double Poppy can't ask for anything more its gorgeous and Do you seed them?:) Sandra H

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  6. Hi Sandra H! I'm going to try and save seeds. Hope to get my greenhouse back into action soon so I have no excuse! Di xx

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  7. Hiya Di, oh this is gorgeous, I love to flowers in full bloom, hope to start our garden for next year. Thanks for the link hun shall go have a looksie. Joey xx

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  8. Hi Di
    Yes it is a double "Shirley" poppy. We have loads of them growing here the seeds like newly disturbed soil to be planted in for next year. No gaurantee it will flower next year from the seed the same colours ours rarely do. They come in a variety of different pinks ranging from pale lilac to crimson red. Single and doubles. Enjoy your greenhouse.

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  9. Hi Sandra! That explains it -someone did dump some some soil at the club. Will give it a go! Di xx

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  10. OOh, you're right - that's an absolutely stunning flower. Thanks for sharing x

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  11. Mmm How lucky, as they do seed quite well, it is definately a poppy cos I have grown some from seed this year and the colour is beautiful. I have collected quite a few of the seed head to see what colour they come as next year, The only downside was the flowers didn't last that long.

    Kath x

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  12. What a lovely flower your Fickle Phoebe has produced...she was truly worth the effort! Yay Di!

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