Hi All.

I hope you don't mind me dropping in to ask a question.

We've just taken on an allotment patch which is over grown with all sorts of
plants. We are only disposing of the weeds, any other plants we are moving
to a different patch as it seems a shame to destroy some of the beautiful
plants that are there and about to bloom. Now the question, there are
several strange plants we have come across and we don't know what they are.
I have a big encyclopedia of plants and they don't seem to be in there and
the people we have asked at the allotments don't seem to know either. They
have big, rounded, hairy leaves which are pale green with white veins, and
are covered in a strange white powdery substance which is not due to
pest/disease but seems natural to the plant. I think the plants are about
to flower. Any ideas?

Thanks for your time.

Tracey

"Tracey" wrote in message
...
Hi All.

I hope you don't mind me dropping in to ask a question.

We've just taken on an allotment patch which is over grown with all sorts
of
plants. We are only disposing of the weeds, any other plants we are
moving
to a different patch as it seems a shame to destroy some of the beautiful
plants that are there and about to bloom. Now the question, there are
several strange plants we have come across and we don't know what they
are.
I have a big encyclopedia of plants and they don't seem to be in there and
the people we have asked at the allotments don't seem to know either.
They
have big, rounded, hairy leaves which are pale green with white veins, and
are covered in a strange white powdery substance which is not due to
pest/disease but seems natural to the plant. I think the plants are
about
to flower. Any ideas?

Thanks for your time.

Tracey

Try Verbascum ~~ Adam's Flannel. Could be either a weed or a named
variety. Small yellow flowers~ pretty but wild.
Best Wishes Brian.

In article , Tracey
writes
Hi All.

I hope you don't mind me dropping in to ask a question.

We've just taken on an allotment patch which is over grown with all sorts of
plants. We are only disposing of the weeds, any other plants we are moving
to a different patch as it seems a shame to destroy some of the beautiful
plants that are there and about to bloom. Now the question, there are
several strange plants we have come across and we don't know what they are.
I have a big encyclopedia of plants and they don't seem to be in there and
the people we have asked at the allotments don't seem to know either. They
have big, rounded, hairy leaves which are pale green with white veins, and
are covered in a strange white powdery substance which is not due to
pest/disease but seems natural to the plant. I think the plants are about
to flower. Any ideas?

OK .. how big is 'big'? What is the growth habit? - ie is it a bush or a
tree or a smaller plant with a stem, or do all the leaves come on stalks
from a central point?
If you are sure they are about to flower, waiting till you have flowers
and describing the flowers to us in detail would be helpful - plants are
related on the basis of their sex parts (plants of the same species have
to be able to breed with each other) - ie their flowers.
--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

"Brian" wrote in message
...
Try Verbascum ~~ Adam's Flannel. Could be either a weed or a named
variety. Small yellow flowers~ pretty but wild.
Best Wishes Brian.



Thanks Brian - I'll look into that.

Tracey

"Kay Easton" wrote in message
...
OK .. how big is 'big'? What is the growth habit? - ie is it a bush or a
tree or a smaller plant with a stem, or do all the leaves come on stalks
from a central point?
If you are sure they are about to flower, waiting till you have flowers
and describing the flowers to us in detail would be helpful - plants are
related on the basis of their sex parts (plants of the same species have
to be able to breed with each other) - ie their flowers.
--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

Sorry, I wasn't very good with the description! It's a smaller plant, not a
bush, tree or shrub, and the leaves (about 5x9 inch)all come from a central
point, with one big flower bud coming up through the middle. I'll see what
the flowers are like and post again.

Thanks!

Tracey

Xref: kermit uk.rec.gardening:206712


"Tracey" wrote in message
...

"Kay Easton" wrote in message
...
OK .. how big is 'big'? What is the growth habit? - ie is it a bush or a
tree or a smaller plant with a stem, or do all the leaves come on stalks
from a central point?
If you are sure they are about to flower, waiting till you have flowers
and describing the flowers to us in detail would be helpful - plants are
related on the basis of their sex parts (plants of the same species have
to be able to breed with each other) - ie their flowers.
--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

Sorry, I wasn't very good with the description! It's a smaller plant, not
a
bush, tree or shrub, and the leaves (about 5x9 inch)all come from a
central
point, with one big flower bud coming up through the middle. I'll see
what
the flowers are like and post again.

Thanks!

Tracey

This seems even more likely to be Verbascum. Would be nice to hear when
you have verification. I think you will find a tall 'spire' of rather
insignificant yellow flowers eventually.
Best Wishes Brian..

"Brian" wrote in message
...
This seems even more likely to be Verbascum. Would be nice to hear when
you have verification. I think you will find a tall 'spire' of rather
insignificant yellow flowers eventually.
Best Wishes Brian..

Well, you were spot on, Brian! Had a look at some Verbascum pictures and
what we have growing in the allotment appears to be Verbascum olympicum. A
snippet of information I came across whilst looking was that here in England
the very poor used to put the thick leaves of Verbascum into their shoes for
warmth and that it is supposedly so that if fish eat the seeds of the plant
they become stupified, so much so that they can be caught by hand!

Thanks again for your help.

Tracey

"Tracey" wrote in message
...

"Brian" wrote in message
...
This seems even more likely to be Verbascum. Would be nice to hear
when
you have verification. I think you will find a tall 'spire' of rather
insignificant yellow flowers eventually.
Best Wishes Brian..

Well, you were spot on, Brian! Had a look at some Verbascum pictures and
what we have growing in the allotment appears to be Verbascum olympicum.
A
snippet of information I came across whilst looking was that here in
England
the very poor used to put the thick leaves of Verbascum into their shoes
for
warmth and that it is supposedly so that if fish eat the seeds of the
plant
they become stupified, so much so that they can be caught by hand!

Thanks again for your help.

Tracey

Many thanks for responding Tracey. As a youth I could have done with a
few of those seeds!!
I proposed 43 times before she agreed~~but then as she said " Only the
last proposal involved marriage"!!
Regards Brian 'flayb' to respond.

"Brian" wrote in message
...
Well, you were spot on, Brian! Had a look at some Verbascum pictures
and
what we have growing in the allotment appears to be Verbascum olympicum.
A
snippet of information I came across whilst looking was that here in
England
the very poor used to put the thick leaves of Verbascum into their shoes
for
warmth and that it is supposedly so that if fish eat the seeds of the
plant
they become stupified, so much so that they can be caught by hand!

Thanks again for your help.

Tracey

Many thanks for responding Tracey. As a youth I could have done with a
few of those seeds!!
I proposed 43 times before she agreed~~but then as she said " Only the
last proposal involved marriage"!!
Regards Brian 'flayb' to respond.

What - only 43 times?! Hee hee! They say the fun is in the chase.... )

All the best,

Tracey