[Hilary]

I am still wading through all the flower photos I took at Hyde Hall in September trying to put names to them.
Does anyone know what this is?

[Hilary]

I think I found this out myself. I was looking at shrubs while it turns out to be an annual.
Nicandra physalodes , If I am correct

[Hilary]

Nicandra physalodes
Not having a garden I avoid plants which need much care.

However after obtaining seeds from THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN SOCIETY seed exchange and seeing how my friends enjoyed sowing them in their gardens I decided last year to give it a go. Flowering plants in pots seem to have a very short life on our hot balcony.

I planted the seeds in October and thought these must have been weeds as they grew so quickly and strongly while other seeds have just produced some tiny leaves so far.
I was thrilled to see one blue flower then another opening. Reading about the plant it seems to grow very tall and wide but I am sure it is not meant to flower at the beginning of December which these did, so I am leaving them alone

Ah I see I have already posted about Nicandra which I had seen in Hyde Hall gardens a few years ago

The current seed list is here
http://www.mediterraneangardensociety.org/seedlist.html

[Hilary]

Nicandra physalodes


The latest photo was taken at the beginning of February. I bring them into the house in the evening and, if it is not windy but sunny, put them outside on the balcony during the day.

[Hilary]

More on the Nicandra Physalodes front
.
This plant is mentioned twice in THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN by its synonym Physalis Peruviana

Issue number 69, July 2012
THE IDLE THIRD TERRACE;
 IN MALLORCA, PART 1 by Jaime Ruiz

Issue number 70, October 2012
THE IDLE THIRD TERRACE:
TROPICAL EXPERIMENTS IN MALLORCA, PART 2 by Jaime Ruiz
It seems the fruit is edible

[John J]

We grow its relative Physalis peruviana, the fruit of which is certainly edible. I don't know if that's true of the fruit of Nicandra but as they are in the Solanaceae family I'd be wary.