Shirley Poppies are most commonly mixtures of pink and red. This year the most unusual color that appeared was a single plant with purple-gray flowers and wrinkled petals. Somber, but striking nonetheless. The red string is a marker so seed can be collected in a few weeks.
Read and see what an ancient Egyptian garden is thought to have looked like.
Ancient Egyptian Garden – Hamilton Gardens
here is a news story
Recreation of ancient Egyptian garden opens in Hamilton (1news.co.nz)
Iconic symbol of the New Zealand All Blacks rugby team and other national sports teams and athletes. I photographed this frond fragment on a trail in Otari-Wilton’s Bush, Wellington, NZ in March 2022. Alsophina dealbata, can grow to 30 feet and the full fern frond can be 10 feet long. It is the underside that is white/silver.
Amanita muscaria. I think this is the prototype for the Disney-esque toadstool seen in cartoons and movies. Ibotenic acid and muscimol are the moderately toxic neurotoxins from this fungi.
Senna didymobotyra, or popcorn Cassia is a fun addition to any garden because the crushed flowers and buds have a strong scent of buttered popcorn. It is a robust plant that enjoys sun and heat. Note the large bumble bee closing in for a pollen snack. It is also a favorite of caterpillars of the large yellow sulphur butterflies so watch for eaten leaves in late summer. B. Bennett garden