Smaller Than Expected

The Sunflower bud I showed a couple of Mondays ago has finally opened.

I had expected a 'giant Sunflower' to have a giant flower but no. This one is about 5 inches (130mm) across. On the plus side I do like the red colour and there are another six buds on the plant. I wonder what colour the other large one next to it will turn out to be.

Red Bottle Brushes

The Callistemon (bottle brush plant) may be somewhat straggly in growth



but the unusual brilliant red flowers make up for it



Even though it is not a native British plant it attracts a lot of bees.
I wonder what bottle brush honey tastes like.
This coming Autumn I will try to cultivate some cuttings.

Brush That Bottle

The second set of flowers have finally opened on my Callistemon plant



I have always been fascinated by the way they develop.
Growing right on the branch and part way along it.
Bottle Brush is a very apt name for it.

Callistemon

As we came back from our mid morning walk I spotted this flash of red:



The first flowers on my Callistemon, bottle brush, plant starting to open.

Hot Lips

No. I'm not referring to the M*A*S*H character Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan.

Late last year I wrote about a plant I had seen locally which had small white flowers with bright red lips. I discovered it was Salvia Hot Lips. The six plug plants I ordered have been growing in the greenhouse over the winter and are just showing their first flowers. Disappointingly the ones I have seem to be pure red but are pretty none the less. I have read that the colour can change throughout the year so they may yet develop the white later on..

Two I have planted out, the rest will be put outside soon.





I would describe this bushy plant as half hardy as it can stay evergreen if the weather doesn't get too frosty. Mine have kept their leaves right through the Winter while in the unheated greenhouse.