In article
,
Billy wrote:

In article
,
"FarmI" ask@itshall be given wrote:

The magenta flower is Lychnis - it also comes in white. They are
brilliant survivors in dry conditions which they seem to prefer and in

my place the volunteer seeds sprout in a gravel pathway.

Indeed that is it, thank you Fran. It is odd, and reassurring that,
though thousands of miles apart, we have the same floral friends.

It is indeed nice and glad to be of some help. It's very, very irritating
to not know what a certain plant is. I have one in my front driveway and
it's a glorious thing in spring. It took me 10 years to find out that it
is
a Parahebe, but beyond that, I still have no idea of its full name and I
can
find nothing on the Net quite like it.

The
Lychnis coronaria, the red Valerian, Nasturtiums, and the Foxglove are
volunteer guests every year here, on the north side of the hill. They
seem to grow wherever I don't intrude.

I love common old Valerian and also Foxgloves but they don't do well here
as
they prefer moister conditions than they can regularly get.

My really super duper favourites of the old fashioned plants though would
have to be Lily of the Valley, Lavendar Shower and Fairy Fishing Rod. I
can't grow Lavender Shower here but I can on our other farm where I've
tucked it inot the hsade behind a water tank on the eastern side of the
house and even though we are not there a great deal, without any help on my
part it thrives. I've done much the same thing with the Lily of the
Valley - south facing and moist and always in shade and it keeps on keeping
on.

I've been think about the Lily of the Valley because of all our tree
cover. I think I would have trouble with the Fairy Fishing Rod because
it requires full Sun. These are my kind of flowers in that they are low
maintenance. Is there another name for Lavender Shower? Google keeps
giving me bath gels :Ob

Lily of the valley was the first plant I had when thinking of a garden.
Long Gone but well worth seeking out again .

Solomon Seal may be worth a gander.

Bill

http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/woodland/plants/solomon_seal.htm

--
Garden in shade zone 5 S Jersey USA

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle."
-Philo of Alexandria