Trevor Appleton wrote:
"Thomas" wrote in message
...
I know nothing about gardening, but there are two sets of (wild?)
flowers/plants just behind my garden fence, and I was wondering if
someone could put a name to them, please. The photos aren't the
best quality, but hopefully they can be identified easily. I live
on the outskirts of London,
if my location is needed.

Thanks in advance.

http://www.aoqs33.dsl.pipex.com/plant1.jpg

http://www.aoqs33.dsl.pipex.com/plant2.jpg

Thomas

Plant 2 is an invasive alien Purple Loosestrife. I was given it in
a
'Cottage Garden Mix' packet of seeds. Considering its causing so
much
trouble in conservation wetlands, it does amazingly well in my dry
chalky gravelly dry soil. I have it everywhere!

2.7 million seeds per plant per year aint bad going!

http://www.bruderhof.co.uk/articles/...oosestrife.htm

I'd say Plant 2 was a Michaelmas daisy: there are a few wild or
naturalized species, and I think yours is a garden variety, and very
nice too.

(I think Trevor's got the numbers swapped, as I usually do in these
circumstances.) Plant 1 might be a garden variety of Purple
Loosestrife, but I'm not at all su I'd want to see a close-up: the
leaves don't seem right, and I'm not sure about the flowering habit
we see here.

If you want to risk getting hooked, Thomas, I recommend the Collins
Field Guide to the Wild Flowers of Britain and Northern Europe. I see
my faithful copy cost me £1.80 in 1974, so I suppose it must be about
ten or twelve quid now. The Collins Gem Guide is a lot cheaper, but a
lot less thorough. In any case, I hope you won't do anything to
discourage the plants. Another garden flower which loves appearing in
daft places and staying there for ever is the hollyhock. And lower
down, the little Mexican Sneezewort, with flowers very like our lawn
Daisy, is popping up a bit these days, too.

Mike.