What is this bush/tree/plant?

[gentlegreen]

oo is it? I've tried cosmos before but unsuccessfully. That was actually my second question that I forgot - will the seeds be viable if I've only got one of them? I tried spreading the pollen round a bit between flowers today.

I was googling - apparently chocolate cosmos have sterile seeds ..
You said they were F1s ?

Or do you mean it's the begonias that are F1 ?

 

[two sheds]

no sorry the small plants in the pot behind are the F1 hybrids.

 

[Calamity1971]

oo is it? I've tried cosmos before but unsuccessfully. That was actually my second question that I forgot - will the seeds be viable if I've only got one of them? I tried spreading the pollen round a bit between flowers today.

Lidl get them in 39p a packet. Are they the ones I sent you shedsy? I know you don't drive, if you want me to send some I'm happy to. I planted candy Stripe this year and they're beautiful.

 

[two sheds]

They may well be: I didn't buy any seeds of them this year and yes please when you have some available.

 

[Calamity1971]

They may well be: I didn't buy any seeds of them this year and yes please when you have some available.

Winging there way soon.

 

[clicker]

The shop had a dazzling display of bulbs. Really, really don't need any more tulips though.
So got these to satisfy the itch.
And then these little beauties threw themselves into my basket, begging to be planted.

 

[geminisnake]

Queen of the night are lovely though, I have some of them

 

[clicker]

Queen of the night are lovely though, I have some of them

Fingers crossed. I'm in the wrong thread too...but saw a cosmos here and got excited. Love their feathery greenery.

 

[clicker]

Any idea? Both small off shoots from the base of a huge version of this? The 'mother' plant in a neighbours garden is about 4 foot high, like a big sprawly cactus. She can't remember what it is either.

 

[Leafster]

View attachment 347666
Any idea? Both small off shoots from the base of a huge version of this? The 'mother' plant in a neighbours garden is about 4 foot high, like a big sprawly cactus. She can't remember what it is either.

It's an Agave.

 

[blossie33]

View attachment 347666
Any idea? Both small off shoots from the base of a huge version of this? The 'mother' plant in a neighbours garden is about 4 foot high, like a big sprawly cactus. She can't remember what it is either.

My late parents had lots of those in pots in their garden, they are very prolific

 

[clicker]

My late parents had lots of those in pots in their garden, they are very prolific

Aha, that was my next thought, can it be put in a pot.

 

[blossie33]

Aha, that was my next thought, can it be put in a pot.

Yes, definitely

 

[oryx]

Can anyone identify this for me? I attempted to grow a sage cutting which failed spectacularly (died in days). Then this thing started growing in the pot! Despite being a terrible gardener, even I know it's not sage It's grown very rapidly in the last few weeks.

 

[iona]

Can anyone identify this for me? I attempted to grow a sage cutting which failed spectacularly (died in days). Then this thing started growing in the pot! Despite being a terrible gardener, even I know it's not sage It's grown very rapidly in the last few weeks.

View attachment 349264

Tomato! (Give the leaves a rub, they'll smell lush)

 

[iona]

How did you take the sage cutting?

 

[oryx]

Tomato! (Give the leaves a rub, they'll smell lush)

Thanks! I wondered if it was a tomato, but thought I was being over-optimistic that it wasn't a weed.

I'll try rubbing and smelling the leaves tomorrow.

Sage cutting - I cut of a small branch, put it in water until it grew roots, then planted it outside in a pot, compost. I actually think I did two this way, and both died! I've got a large sage though, which is in the bottom of the photo.

 

[iona]

Thanks! I wondered if it was a tomato, but thought I was being over-optimistic that it wasn't a weed.

I'll try rubbing and smelling the leaves tomorrow.

Sage cutting - I cut of a small branch, put it in water until it grew roots, then planted it outside in a pot, compost. I actually think I did two this way, and both died! I've got a large sage though, which is in the bottom of the photo.

Try putting them straight into a potting mix that drains well and doesn't get too claggy. Make a straight cut far enough down a stem that it's a bit woody, not soft new growth - right below a leaf node (where leaves are growing out of the stem). Strip all but the very top couple of leaves, poke the cutting into a pot so ~⅔ of it is buried and firm the soil around it so it's pretty well stuck there (pulling it up by the tip of a leaf should make the leaf rip before the cutting comes up). Keep it damp but not wet, depending on how cold it is outdoors now I'd maybe bring it inside but only if it's fairly cool and you don't have the heating turned right up. Keep it out of direct sun while it roots.

You can also layer sage - pin a branch down against the ground about 4-6 inches from its end, without cutting it off the main plant, then bury it slightly. It'll send out new roots from the buried bit of stem, then you can dig it up once it's grown a bit and plant it somewhere else.

 

[iona]

but thought I was being over-optimistic that it wasn't a weed.

That little plant growing underneath it in the same pot, with the purple-ish triple leaves, is a weed and I'd get rid asap if your garden isn't already full of the bastard.

 

[oryx]

That little plant growing underneath it in the same pot, with the purple-ish triple leaves, is a weed and I'd get rid asap if your garden isn't already full of the bastard.

Thanks - and for the 'sage' advice!

I think the other one is clover - it seems to get into all the pot plants although I weed them regularly

 

[iona]

Thanks - and for the 'sage' advice!

I think the other one is clover - it seems to get into all the pot plants although I weed them regularly

Similar leaves but it's actually an oxalis - O. corniculata - and yeah it's a total cunt

 

[oryx]

Similar leaves but it's actually an oxalis - O. corniculata - and yeah it's a total cunt

I always thought that clover had some value for soil quality but presuming O. corniculata doesn't?

 

[iona]

I always thought that clover had some value for soil quality but presuming O. corniculata doesn't?

Yeah clover is a nitrogen fixer. Oxalis isn't, although I just googled to double-check that and apparently there's been some research from South Africa that suggested oxalis have a symbiotic relationship with nitrogen-fixing bacteria that helps them to thrive in difficult conditions (clover fixes nitrogen through nodules on its own roots)

 

[oryx]

Yeah clover is a nitrogen fixer. Oxalis isn't, although I just googled to double-check that and apparently there's been some research from South Africa that suggested oxalis have a symbiotic relationship with nitrogen-fixing bacteria that helps them to thrive in difficult conditions (clover fixes nitrogen through nodules on its own roots)

Blimey, I've just googled it and it's edible! Apparently it tastes lemony. Don't think I'll be trying it though.

 

[iona]

Blimey, I've just googled it and it's edible! Apparently it tastes lemony. Don't think I'll be trying it though.

It's related to wood sorrel which is more well-known as an edible plant, if you've ever tried that? Same lemony taste. The vegetable oca is also an oxalis and the tubers are kind of like a lemony potato. (Oxalis do contain oxalic acid and so shouldn't be eaten in huge quantities, though it's also found in plenty of things like spinach that are generally considered safe to eat)

 

[oryx]

I rubbed and smelt a leaf today and it definitely is a tomato!

Think I need to repot it fairly soon and possibly bring it in for the winter.

I used home-made compost so there must have been a seed lurking in there.

 

[iona]

I rubbed and smelt a leaf today and it definitely is a tomato!

Think I need to repot it fairly soon and possibly bring it in for the winter.

I used home-made compost so there must have been a seed lurking in there.

It might either sulk and die or turn into a massive triffid that needs constant cutting back tbh but worth a try They're very easy to take cuttings from too if you do really want to keep it alive.

 

[teuchter]

Is this parsley, or just something that looks like parsley?

 

[Idaho]

Looks very much like parsley. Try some.

 

[gentlegreen]

Looks very much like parsley. Try some.

Some in that family can be a bit nasty - ditto the buttercup family it also resembles ...