The summer was well advanced when this photo was snapped during the first week of August. It is an inula but I'm not sure of where I obtained it from. I know that I originally came across an inula on one of Cathy's from 'Rambling In The Garden' open garden events that she holds under the National Open Garden Scheme. The NGS raises considerable amounts of money for charity each year, thanks to the gardens that participate and open their gardens to visitors, usually provide welcome refreshments and often have brilliant plant stalls. I'm not sure whether I actually bought the plant that day or whether it was at another open garden event in Cumbria the following year. Well wherever I got it from its's a ray of sunshine, a bee magnet and opens up it's flowers in a most fascinating manner. Amazingly this year it has had a second wind and has sported a few late in the year flowers. There are still one or two hanging on in there today but I think that they will be finished off by the predicted severe frosts that are heading our way later this week.
A special thanks to Cathy who blogs at 'Words and Herbs' for her steadfast hosting this week.
This a new to me flower, it's lovely and a great capture with the bee.
ReplyDeleteOh I do like that plant, not heard of it before, though.
ReplyDeleteIt really is a ray of sunshine if it's still flowering Anna! I have seen large clumps of these in a few gardens here, which leads to me to believe it likes to spread out. I think your cold weather is heading our way at the end of the week too…
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