plant identification

can anyone identify this huge plant that just appeared in my garden this year. i certainly didn't plant it

Hi there rich3 - I can't be certain but it looks like a biennial named Clary Sage/Sage Clary/Salvia Sclarea - I have the Turkestanica variety which appeared in our garden and was identified with this specific name by a friend after seeing one growing in a private garden. 

I hope this helps and I'm sure others will be able to add further ideas/comments.

Funny I asked about this on another site and then we saw this at Bodnant Gardens today. Salvia sclarea turkestanica. If you want it to be perennial then you need to cut down the flowering stems after flowering so it does not exhaust itself producing seeds. Personally I would leave a few flowers to go to seed as insurance.

Phew !!! 

I'm always worried about commiting what I think to the written word - not so much in face-to-face conversation - so very pleased to read that someone agrees with me - again not what I always experience in 'real life' !!!!

As a relative newbie to the forum I'm pleased that other forumites are so polite and friendly and excusing of mistakes !!!