Raven48

A Three-Petalled blue flower?

Thanks, Dove, that certainly looks like it I dug one up, expecting it to be a bulb but it has thick fleshy roots, so I just replanted it. I seem to have five of them, though where on earth they've come from has me completely stumped! We've had the plot four years now, and though I have scattered some wildflower/kids annual mixes on two beds to attract pollinators I don't remember anything like this. The flowers don't last very long, but are the most stunning bright blue. I shall do my best to nurture it now I know what it is, but given that its growing almost completely shaded out by three 3m-plus sunflowers it seems easily pleased!

A Three-Petalled blue flower?

That looks more like it on the foliage, but the flowers are different. I was going to take a photo of it, but the one open flower has gone so I'll wait till the others open. They sit in a strange sort of case, the flowers, before they open, which is hard to describe but a sort of tear-drop shape with reddish brown streaks, and the flowers are held in a spray type arrangement as far as I can tell, though it looks like only one opens at a time. The flower colour is a really clear royal blue, the same shade as something like lithodora 'Heavenly Blue'. I'm vexed that I can't find out what it is!

A Three-Petalled blue flower?

Hi,
Thanks for answering, it does look a bit like the tradescantia on the link, but only broadly. The three petals on mine are seperate, not joined and the leaves are more like a houseplant-type tradescantia than long iris-type leaves. I'll take a photo of it tomorrow!

A Three-Petalled blue flower?

I've found an odd plant growing on my allotment, no idea what it is or where it came from, but it's definitely not a vegetable It's about 6" tall with strappy sort of leaves, not very bushy, and a lovely bright royal blue flower with three petals, about an inch across. Any ideas?

Eelworm in Onions

Hi,
Thanks for taking the time to reply
After a lot more discussion (and lots more tea!) we have decided that it's more likely to be onion fly - a pain, but apparently not as serious! We don't know if we can still use the onions, though, or whether we have to dig them up and burn them. I don't use chemicals on my plot though, so I won't be spraying them with anything - some of the 'old boys' have drenched theirs in J***s Fluid, but I'm sure that's not good for you, even if it will be a couple of months before harvest! I'll probably have to write off this year's crop I suppose, but that' one of the gambles you take when you grow your own organically!

Talkback: How to grow lupins

I grew my first Lupins to 'adulthood' last year, the first time I didn't lose them all to those infernal creatures - slugs! This year, they are four feet tall ad almost the same across, covered in flower spikes of several colours, and are covered in bees. What more can you wish for! One of the most rewarding plants I've grown from seed.

Talkback: How to grow lupins

I grew my first Lupins to 'adulthood' last year, the first time I didn't lose them all to those infernal creatures - slugs! This year, they are four feet tall ad almost the same across, covered in flower spikes of several colours, and are covered in bees. What more can you wish for! One of the most rewrding plants I've grown from seed.

Eelworm in Onions

I have an allotment in Stoke on Trent, and several of my fellow gardeners and I discovered today that we all have a problem with our onions. After much consultation and reading of favourite allotment books - and several cups of tea! - we have come to the conclusion that we have stem/onion Eelworm. After further discussion we discovered that we had all bought the same two varieties (Stuttgarter Giant and Sturon) from the same well known high street household store. Is it possible that the eelworm came in the sets when we bought them, dormant and fairly undetectable or something? If so, any advice as to what to do about it? We have examined the onions, and compared them between ourselves. There is little discolouration when the bulbs are cut open (several did contain onion fly grubs, though we have concluded that they are a sort of 'secondary infection' because the plants are weakened) but they all have severely distorted foliage, flattened and wavy leaves, and are generally unthrifty. We wondered whether it was the weather at first, but it seems a bit of a coincidence that at least five of us have this for the first time when we all bought our sets from the same place... Anyway, has anyone else had this problem? Any advice as to what to do about perhaps claiming a refund or whatever, I and my fellow allotmenteers would greatly appreciate it, Amanda and the Newford Farm gardeners

A Three-Petalled blue flower?

Eelworm in Onions

Did it arrive on our allotments this year actually IN the sets?