[Umbrian]

Since June we have been suffering drought and high temperatures, the most difficult conditions in my 14 years here. My Sisyrinchium striatum put on a good show earlier in the year and now one or two plants are managing a second flowering.They are in poor soil and full sunshine with no watering. Young self seedlings planted out last year also flowered this year and are clumping up well.

[Alisdair]

Carole, Is your Sisyrinchium striatum well behaved with you? Here in the UK it seeds itself around everywhere in our garden (we don't mind, as we let it form a sort of ground cover, and in places where we don't want it, it's very easy to pull out). S. macrocarpum, a much neater little plant with deeper-coloured leaves and more golden-yellow flowers, also seeds itself around here very freely. Alas, the equally neat blue-flowered S. bellum 'Californian Skies' has in its whole life with us produced only one single self-sown seedling, which was pretty true to type - I wish it was as prolific as its brasher relatives!

[David Bracey]

S striatum is another  winner.  Easy to grow, never fails to flower, easy in propagate and divide and thin.  Interesting lanceolate leaves in the winter to add interest. What else do you need?

[Umbrian]

It does seed about but not enough to be a problem probably due to the climate. The seedlings are easily removed if not wanted and really, anything that is happy is welcome especially for moving to the more difficult areas under cultivation. I was pleasantly surprised at how well it adapted to life here and find it a pleasing "contrast" plant due to its linear shaped leaves that form fans and the abundance of flowering stems that each clump forms. Also, despite the flowers being yellow, a colour many members seem to find difficult, it is a very pale creamy yellow that does not jar with nearby plantings. Altogether a winner as far as I am concerned