Roses are Red

Or maybe that should be "some roses are red".  This one is - Darcey Bussell (and she smells gorgeous too)

But others aren't.  These were all open at the weekend and none of them are red - more purple, pink, peach or white, but I guess that doesn't work in the rhyme!

Top row: Iceberg, The Wedgewood Rose, Charles De Mills

Middle Row: William Morris, Mutabilis, The Generous Gardener

Bottom Row: Rosa de Bologna, Abraham Darby, Rosa Glauca.

These are much earlier than in previous years (by about 3 weeks) but as there are many others still at the "about to open stage" I'm hoping the rose season will go on for longer than normal, because they are so beautiful aren't they.

What is this plant?

Can anyone help identify this plant?  It's appeared in a very shady spot in the garden, and I have no recollection at all of planting anything there.  It's about 9" tall (23cm)

The flower has 5 parts to the "trumpet" part and a yellow throat.

 The flower is trumpet shaped, and the petals unfurled from inside of the trumpet.  The buds are trumpet like too and have a sort of star shaped button at the end.

It has no noticeable scent and the leaves are quite fleshy and distorted (although the distortion might be from lack of water and being nibbled by something as it was emerging!).

Any ideas?  Anyone?

While I was contemplating the plant, and skimming duckweed off my pond earlier (for my neighbour's ducks to eat!) this lovely damselfly came to visit.  I'm pretty sure it's a male Common Blue, but common or not, it's very beautiful.

Winners (and a not winner)

Some plants are simply winners aren't they?  This magnificent Cedric Morris iris opened this week, for the first time ever.  I bought it a couple of years ago from Sarah Cook at the NCCPG plant sale at Helmingham Hall in August, it's Benton Caramel.  Cedric lived near here, just outside Hadleigh, so it's nice to have a little piece of local history growing in the garden.

Cedric Morris Iris - Caramel

Cedric Morris Iris - Caramel

It looks magnificent against the Abraham Darby rose, which is always a winner in itself - both in looks and scent:

Rosa Abraham Darby

But this plant is definitely not a winner as far as I'm concerned.  It was sold as Papaver Orientale 'Royal Chocolate Distinction', and is supposed to have "chocolate-maroon flowers above the grey-green leaves" and it looks promising at the bud stage:

Oriental Poppy

But when it opens it's like a faded version of Patty's Plum, far more maroon than chocolate:

Oriental Poppy

Of course it might have been labelled incorrectly and really is a different variety, but a chocolate coloured poppy it isn't!