Sunday, May 8, 2011

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!

5 comments:

Mag said...

Lovely Iris! I don't have any but keep meaning to go and visit the Iris fields at Woottens Nursery
( http://www.woottensplants.co.uk/html/nurserydetails.htm ).

Your Oriental Poppy is a lovely colour, nonetheless! I don't have any of those, either!

Emma said...

Beautiful flowers all of them. Dissapointing as not what you expected, but oh that plum color! I've got some iris in bud by the pond, can't wait. That particular euphorbia tho is the bain of my life, not a cultivar - rips thru everything. Given by a kindly neighbor when I had nothing - she said she told me it would spread & back then I didn't know the meaning of the word!

Anna said...

Oh what a stunning iris Su - unable to help with you with the name I'm afraid. Can't you believe that you have roses in flower already! I would forgive that poppy even though it's not lived up to its name :)

Clare and Mike said...

What a beautiful iris and rose (adore the clematis on a previous post too.) We have a front garden full of amazing plants but which may get overtaken by the weeds! Hopefully, we will tame it in time. I have recently seen a stunning clematis called, I believe, The President'. It has huge flowers - quite something. Clare x

Reading Tea Leaves said...

Gorgeous post Su. I love that Oriental Poppy whatever the colour. It looks so beautiful even before it has unfurled!

Thanks for the tip on the Farm Shop and cafe - I shall stop by there next time.

Jeanne
x