...And I don't even know where it came from!

[robg]

Well, it's a compositae of some sort but I can't find it in my books.  Judging by how well it grows and flowers, it's weed somewhere, but perhaps not as last summer it didn't set any seed, though cuttings take well.

Any ideas please.
Rob

[robg]

I'll have to find out how to get more than one picture up - oops! there's a "More Attachments" button.  Here's a close up.

Rob

[annew]

Don't know, but it's nice!

[Lesley Cox]

Very nice. super wall too. Yum yum.

[fermi de Sousa]

Hi Rob,
it looks similar to what is grown here as Chrysanthemum mawii - the typical form is a bit pinker.
cheers
fermi

[robg]

Thanks guys, particularly Fermi who is near enough on the ball.

Chrysanthemum mawii is now called Rhodanthemum Gayanum, coming from Morocco and Algeria.  What I have is the white version called R. African Eyes; I tried for R.Gayanum 'African Eyes', but no it's R. African Eyes - I do have difficulty with plant naming sometimes!!

The irony of all this is that having gone out once in the rain to get a leaf (with greenfly!) and flower to look at closely, I then went to check the growth, still in the rain, and found tucked very well underneath the nursery label saying R. etc.  So that's what it is.   It clearly doesn't come from the desert zones as it survived a typically damp Scots winter OK and is thriving in the rain.

Here's a picture of the wall now the sun's come out - sadly the builder didn't follow instructions fully to pack the back with soil so getting plants to establish can be a bit tricky.

Thanks again

Rob

 

[Lesley Cox]

Thanks for the wall picture Rob. I envy you. I did think your plant looked a bit like the North African Leucanthmum hosmariense or something related at any rate. It, and Rh. gayanum and a couple of other close relatives hybridise quite easily and there are some really nice, very dwarf plants around now, with varying shades of pink to raspberry flowers. The Leucanthemum is at its best blooming through winter of course, here anyway.

[fermi de Sousa]

Hi Rob,
thanks - ANOTHER name change we'll have to get used to!
And thanks for a look at your garden.
cheers
fermi

[robg]

Hi Lesley

What a clever girl you are  --I found this

" Leucanthemum gayanum (Coss. & Durieu) Maire [Bull. Soc. Hist. Nat. Afrique N. 14:149. 1923]   (= Chrysanthemum demnatense Murb.) (= Chrysanthemum gayanum (Coss. & Durieu) Ball) (= Pyrethrum gayanum Coss. & Durieu) (= Rhodanthemum gayanum (Coss. & Durieu) B. H. Wilcox et al.) "

And as for name changes, Fermi, you could try reading through all of this if you are into that sort of thing, but even a quick scan does give a bit of reasoning behind it.

http://www.guynesom.com/AsternamesWEB.htm

I've tried to find something on this 'African Eyes', but guess from Leslie's comment about hybridising that that is what this is and therefore doesn't have a full latin name.  Certainly last year it didn't seem to set any seed which might relate to it being a hybrid - quite happily does cuttings though.

Cheers
Rob

[JohnnyD]

Hi Rob,
Love the layout Rob, and know the problem of dry walls.
One trick, where there are gaps in walls which make establishing plants difficult, is to take root balls from defunct baskets or pots and ram them, a little bit at a time, into the gaps - as far and as firmly as possible.
The old roots mean even small lumps stay where you put them.
This provides a reinforcement which not only holds water, it also gives the new plants something to get hold of until established.
Cheers,
Johnny

[Luc Gilgemyn]

There's not only "Great walls" in China Rob !! 
Splendid layout ! Thanks for showing !

[Maggi Young]

Hi Rob,
Love the layout Rob, and know the problem of dry walls.
One trick, where there are gaps in walls which make establishing plants difficult, is to take root balls from defunct baskets or pots and ram them, a little bit at a time, into the gaps - as far and as firmly as possible.
The old roots mean even small lumps stay where you put them.
This provides a reinforcement which not only holds water, it also gives the new plants something to get hold of until established.
Cheers,
Johnny

Great tip, Johhny,  very useful idea!

[JohnnyD]

p.s. - I should have added that it is also a good way to introduce seeds to a dry wall.
J.