Castilleja

[ranunculus]

... And Cohan, many thanks for starting this super thread with so many excellent images.  I have been lucky enough to see these gems growing in Colorado, California and Utah and, of course, occasionally on the show benches here in the U.K., but your images show a range of colours that defy imagination and belief. Absolutely beautiful.

[Regelian]

On a totally unrelated subject and only because it offends me no end, a few years back our then Labour govt. did away with the UK honours list and the titles "Sir" and " Dame" in preference for a NZ system of honours which meant almost nothing to anyone at all. Our current National (conservative) govt. has restored the old system and invited all those who missed out on knighthoods to take them up now. Most have done so - a few exceptions on principle seeing as we're really not much related to our British forebears any longer, but one who is now to be called Dame is a previous prime minister (not elected, she stabbed the incumbent in the back to all intents and purposes in order to take his position). Her title (which implies meritorious work) offends me because the only thing for which she is to be remembered if her pushing to have the drinking age lowered, an act which has seen young people binging and boozing to extreme degrees and their own great detriment. Moreover, she once used the non-word mischievious, in a speech to a visiting president of somewhere, at a state luncheon. And she previously a school teacher. To my mind she is a national disgrace.

OK rant over.

Lesley,

I take it you are impliing that the women is party parasitic and best planted out in a lawn.  Correct?

Jamie

PS: Cohan, I'm really loving this thread!

[cohan]

thanks cliff and jamie!
of course i am still envious of the species in other places with real pink and purple/violet tones! but for one population, this was a pretty special one

jamie--excellent suggestion for lesley's unsavoury politician...lol..sounds like she might be full of fertiliser too

[Lesley Cox]

Jamie, she just thinks far too much of herself and to my mind would be best planted out UNDER the lawn. I've never had a great opinion of the Honours List as it seems to me that most who receive the honours do so for doing with or without competence, what they've been paid to do anyway.