"Linda" wrote in message
Least I think that's what it is!
I was driving past a meadow of deep purple (my favourite colour)
anywho I stopped, took a cutting and I am now told it's Patterson's Curse!
I have a HUGE garden so there's plenty of room.
How bad is this delightful flower?

F...ing ghastly. But then I live on a farm and we spend a lot of time and
herbicide trying to eradicate each and every one.

But, having said that, it is a garden escapee, so it came here as a
decorative plant, so it does have garden value. Depends on where you live
I guess. If you live in the middle of farmland then don't plant it or your
neighbours will hate you. If you live in the city, then go ahead.

Reminds me of a story. Years ago, a friend of Scots origins was having her
40th birthday. My husband, who has a wickedly dry sense of humour, took my
welding gloves, went off to the back paddock and came back with a huge bunch
of Scotch thistle flowers. We went to her party and he presented her with
the sheaf of Scotch thistles. She laughed and everyone else there whooped
and hollared and poured scorn on my husband. Our friend put them in a big
vase anyway and put them in the middle of her sideboard.

About an hour later a family from Sydney arrived, saw the Scothch thisles
and went in raptures about these gorgeous flowers. Where did she get them?
How much did they cost? (They must have been expensive!) They must have
them in their garden!

All we rural dwelling people were simply dumbstruck.