Pattersons' Curse

 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?

Linda

 

If you do not want to call it Patterson's curse, you can call it Salvation
Jane. Goats go absolutely nuts over the flowers, they will go thru a paddock
and only eat the flowers. Beekeepers love it as well.


 

 Linda wrote:

ROTFL!!! Weeds make *great* specimen plants and Paterson's Curse is no
exception. Keep in it a pot in case it feels like taking over your yard.
You'll be interested to know one of its European names: Viper's Bugloss.
  Isn't that great?

I've currently got a white clover in a hanging basket. It makes a lovely
show, spilling over the basket and eventually making a bridal veil of
honey-scented flowers!

A few weeks ago, I noticed some Red Clover growing on the roadside verge
at the Beresfield Interchange,  near Maitland. My long-suffering DH
drove me out there and we parked precariously on the verge while
rush-hour traffic passed us by. Drivers were looking at us most
curiously as we busily dug up a half-dozen Red Clovers to take home.
I've got them in pots and they're flowering beautifully. They don't seem
to have the same growth habit as the White Dutch (which is a trailing
plant). Instead the Red Clover grows upright as a low (two foot or so)
shrubby herb. It's so pretty! Now, the search is on for a Strawberry
Clover. I used to see quite a bit of it when I lived in Armidale, but
haven't seen any near N'cle. Haresfoot Trefoil is interesting too.

Let us know how your Paterson's Curse gets on, won't you? ;-D

--
Trish Brown

Newcastle, NSW, Australia

 

LOL I so enjoyed reading your post :-) Thank goodness I am not alone in
thinking that weeds have so much to offer as well as being easy to grow!
Will keep you posted!
Linda (Perth WA)

 
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.