I don’t usually write on subjects outside my chickens but this time I am making an exception. I have a plant which self seeded in one of our patio pots last year. It looked unusual and a bit special so I transplanted it to a small pot of it’s own. It is very slow growing and this year has produced a single flower bud which is taking a very long time to open.
It has narrow leaves with black spots on and the bud looks as if it will be white. There is nothing in my garden that looks anything like it and it’s not like any plant that I have seen before. I wonder if anyone knows what this is?
Strange plant
Unknown plant
While on the subject of unknown items, I found this feather under our bird feeder today. I am very familiar with the wide range of wild birds we have visiting our feeders but I have no idea what this spotty feather belongs to.
Spotty feather
unknown feather
While I am off topic I thought I would show a snapshot of the garden.
The big poppies have been really good this year
A big splash of mauve
The mystery plant a few weeks later
The mystery plant is taking ages to flower. It’s been like this for weeks now.
Pale pink bud
Here it is another week later and I can now see that the bud isn’t white but is pale pink. This is so incredibly slow to flower that I have run out of patience and will update at another time if it ever fully opens.
Our rambling rose – Paul’s Himalayan Musk
This is the view going up our path.
It also rambles over our cabin
This is the view from the other side. The cabin is our kitchen where we run our catering business from.
It tumbles over the arches
It is a mass of soft pink with plenty of buds still to open
The other rambling rose is just starting to open
The honeysuckle beneath the rose is also in flower. I tie the rose into the arches but this year will have to cut it back a bit once it has flowered. We are now having to duck under the arches but I don’t want to spoil it while it’s flowering.
The garden is full and lush after the recent slightly warmer temperatures and intermittent rain. We put these roses in when we moved here six years ago and they have grown an incredible amount in that time. This entire garden was laid to lawn when we moved in and we gradually took out the lawn and replaced it with cottage garden plants. It is still evolving but we are very pleased with the results.
Click here to see the history of my flock.
Wow what a beautifull garden lucky you ! I am sure you put a lot of work in to it ! Do you ever let the girls out for a little walk ?
We put a lot of work into it to get it started but now it so full that the weeds can’t get through and it virtually looks after itself, which was our plan. The main thing we do now is prune back and take out things that spread too much.
I can’t let the girls out as it would not be safe.They are very good at flying and there would be many places they could escape plus they would eat everything! They have plenty of space in their run with their own apple tree and a couple of very big shrubs which have been eaten to their jump up height.
I give them greens every day and any weeds from the garden and am growing some things for them in our veg plot. I have planted corn, pak choi, chard and spinach for them. I have also planted a row of nasturtiums against the weld mesh so that they will spill through for them to eat.
Let her girls out for a walk ! You must be kidding I think there would be a divorce .
I think it is stunning ,the photos don’t do it justice .
Thank you Jackie! I should have included the veg plot. Maybe next time.
Have sent you a plant identifying site.
Wow! love the feather
I have filled in the questionnaire and it came back saying it couldn’t find it but gave me some things that were similar. They were mostly grasses which is obviously because I said that the leaves were long and narrow. The nearest in looks was a red helliborine but nothing with spotted leaves. It’s definitely not hosta as all hostas have much broader leaves. It is still a mystery. The feather is a mystery too.
Absolutely gorgeous!!
Hi! I just discovered your blog and am looking forward to reading about your life with chickens. 🙂
Thank you, I rarely stray away from non stop talk of chickens (in fact this is the first post ever) but I am in the middle of my next post showing the other half of the garden and my conclusion of the identity of the mystery plant.
Please stay tuned though because after that I will be straight back to the chickens.
I love the mystery plant – you make it sound like it came from outer space!
Or maybe it did…
I think I have solved the mystery now, go to my next post for my conclusion. Glad you enjoyed it though! Just the feather to identify now. We do get the greater spotted woodpecker to our feeders, I wondered if that’s the culprit.