garden withoutdoors

I've observed and grown poppies for years. Yesterday it occurred to me, why are some Papaver somniferum quite upright

quite upright but shorter

upright and taller but not as tall as the first one

but some sprawling

bee on Centaurea montana

green alkanet with bee

One of my recent successes is houndstongue which I grew from seed. This year's plants are from seed collected in  2024 that I sowed last year. Houndstongue is biennial. I still haven't figured out how to have it in bloom every year. I don't have any seeds to plant this year to grow for next year's flowers. I guess I need to save some for the interim year of the seeds I'll collect this year and only sow half of them.  

teasels growing quite tall and filling with water

bristly oxtongue growing taller (teasel plant in front)

I like what I have growing on this shelf!

lots of buds:

drumstick alliums

polemium

water figwort

rough hawkbit just blooming

13-5-2026 bees on Crepis vesicaria 

and dandelion

cornflower bud

alpine poppy

9-5-2026 I sowed seeds for the dame's violet last year but didn't think they'd germinated as I don't recall seeing any seedlings and now some unknown plants turned out to be the dame's violet and it's blooming (Socks and Olaf on the right)

This cuckoo flower appeared in my garden last year. I never had one self-seeding before. I thought it might not return this year but the other day I saw it in my garden. I feel so blessed. 

I had beaked hawk's-beard (Crepis vesicaria) self-seeded in the garden when I moved in but no flowers the first year, about 20 plants blooming the 2nd year and some self-seeders this year, about 10? I'm not limited to the ground, this is in a crack in my patio.

side view of the buds and flowers, showing that 2nd row of phyllaries

allium with a bee

a butterfly (must check which) on the speedwell

green alkanet with a bee

and another

a wallflower which came in one of my wildflower seed mixes last year with a hoverfly

this wild parsnip came in one of the wildlower mixes, didn't expect wild parsnip but I guess it's a wildflower

houndstongue, I originally grew from seed a few years ago, had flowers in 2024, collected seed and grew them, being biennial, it's taken 2 years to have flowers again

I planted Scilla hyacinthoides bulbs a few years ago but never had any flowers resulting. I tried again last year and have 1 flower (the other 2 bulbs are blind) just flowering. 

I have a few woolly thistle, 3 rosettes? I had some last year from seeds sown the year before. At least they've come back. Seen nothing of the nodding thistle sown at the same time 2 years ago. Had only 1 or 2 plants last year. Was hoping for some self-seeding this year but don 't seem to be any.

I love the look of the pulsatilla seedsheads 

buds 5-5-2026:

dame's violet (Hesperis matronalis)

houndstongue

prickly blue poppy (Meconopsis horridula)

Centaurea montana

alpine poppy bud

a few days later, flower bloomed

allium

Centaurea montana Amethyst

ribwort plantain

allium

poppy

I was surprised to see a Korean dandelion in bloom yesterday. I sowed seeds Sept 2024 and didn't think I had any germination, let alone seedlings and plants. I do keep any dandelions that self-seed in my pots and plant them out in the garden when I can. I planted out a number in recent months so one of them must have been this Korean dandelion which I didn't realise I had.

another seed I sowed around the same time as that dandelion was Dame's Violet (Hesperis matronalis) and again, didn't think I had any germination but now I seem to have two plants with buds blooming imminently

other seeds that appeared to have done nothing 2 years ago, turned out to have germinated, grown and produced beautiful flowers: prickly blue poppies (Meconopsis horridula)

wasp beetle I saw in the garden yesterday 

one of a few small houndstongue plants I have in the garden that I grew from seed that looks like it's going to bloom soon

Lesser knapweed plants, finally planted in the ground, I'd had them in a pot until recently. I've been making a real effort to plant out my pots.

prickly blue poppy

April rosettes

bristly oxtongue (Helminthotheca echioides)

teasel (Dipsacus fullonum)

Erigeron speciosus Azure Fairy

catsear (Hypochaeris radicata)

shepherd's purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris)

herb robert

wall speedwell (Veronica arvensis)

lots of rosettes I saw locally, impossible to say for sure yet but aside from dandelions, smooth hawk's-beard (Crepis capillaris) or autumn hawkbit (Scorzoneroides autumnalis)

hedge mustard (Sisymbrium officinale)

Erigeron karvinskianus

20-4-2026  I suddenly noticed a lot of germander speedwell in bloom yesterday.

and I noticed a lot of wall speedwell

I think these 5 plants are the same thing but not sure what yet, possibly Verbascum? The first is a single stem plant but the following 4 stems appeared from the same plant. 

hardy geranium first flower this year

Prickly blue poppy I grew from seed, sown in July 2024, they suddenly appeared recently with buds. Growing from seed can take a while to see results.

2nd plant with unopened buds

ajuga reptans with a bee

Centaurea montana blooming

I had a lot of fringecups in my last garden. I thought I'd brought some with me but could only find a small shoot last year. It's grown well in the past year and has buds now.

Also last year, I bought a small fringecups plant at a local plant sale. It also has buds now.

my first Crepis vesicaria with buds this year

Last autumn I planted out the houndstongue small plants that I grew from seed. Over winter they died back completely so although I had labelled them, the animals disturbed the labels so I wasn't certain exactly where they were but these small plants have grown this spring. They look like houndstongue.

I didn't sow cornflowers this year but I've had 2 self-seeders

and I noticed another yesterday

I have a lot of dandelions, some are huge, some have huge buds and I discovered fascination with these 2 buds.

wall speedwell (Veronica arvensis)

I also have a small patch in a crack in the patio. 

Centaurea montana Amethyst

Silver Parrot tulip

rosettes

catsear

Crepis capillaris

swinecress

nipplewort

herb robert

thale cress

wall lettuce

shepherd's purse

shepherd's purse detail

Lizzy tulips in bloom

this weather is crazy, one day it was hot, now it's chilly and the cats are snuggling inside

the other day it was so warm he wanted to sleep in the shade

I took a photo of the spear thistle by my driveway and it was only while processing at my pc I noticed the hoverfly on the dandelion above it

detail of the dandelion and hoverfly

bee on my green alkanet

Some basal rosettes persist , some disappear by the time of flowering.

hedge mustard with a large basal rosette

thale cress with no basal rosettes persisting

 

my one tulip this year, the others seem to have been eaten by the squirrels, Silver Parrot

a couple days before

I didn't even realise this was a tulip but I see that it is, Lizzy I think

prickly blue poppy (Meconopsis horridula) seedlings

pear tree is starting to bloom

claytonia rosette

apple blossom

stocks

forget-me-not

I discovered this small teasel rosette growing in a crack in my patio today.

I was noticing a lot of seedlings like the one above to the left and those below which I had gathered together to pot up so I could observe them and confirm they are indeed common hogweed

that intense time when there are lots and lots of forget-me-nots, green alkanet to the left in bud 

Pippa helping me in the garden - at least keeping me company - busy week continuing planting out from my pots and tidying up 

Centaurea montana

I love Centaurea montana. Trying to grow it in my garden has been problematic but this spring I was so happy to see this one with lots of buds, a smaller plant with one bud and a couple of smaller plants after repotting some seedlings last year. 

I couldn't decide if I should leave them in pots or plant out in the ground. Generally plants in the ground are at serious risk from slugs in my garden so I repotted these into larger pots so I could at least get some flowers this spring. 

one of those plants from the first pic is very very fuzzy - I don't know if that's just natural variation or another species

one of the many dandelions on my patio, this one with huge buds

closer view of those huge buds

Lamium maculatum Roseum just starting to bloom

a check on my 6 rhubarb plants

28-3-2026

I last observed the London rocket on March 8th 2026 when there was just 1 starting to bloom. Yesterday there were many plants blooming. I can't get over how it's been allowed to grow without being mown down. I am so happy being able to observe it. Today (the 29th) the poppies I  went to look at locally in Edgware had been removed - my usual experience - plants being mown down, removed, sprayed with weedkiller. So the London rocket being allowed to grow is amazing. 

also on Tower Hill is coltsfoot I observed each spring

23-3-2026 I need to consider what to do with the asphodel plants

July 2025 I tried once again sowing seeds but only have 3 seedlings surviving from 4 packets of seed.

 

20-3-2026 Happy Spring

I've been busy planting out pots - finally warm enough to do that.

evening primrose before planting out

planted out

Crepis vesicaria plants to plant out

 

planting them out

Verbascum virgatum (possibly) to plant out

planted out

teasels to plant out

teasel planted out

teasel planted out

bristly oxtongue before planting out

after planting out

dandelions to plant out

dandelions planted out

lesser knapweed, before planting out

after planting out

plants planted out

sheepsbit pot with lots of self-seeders to remove

scabious pot with lots of self-seeders to remove

still to plant out

Watching the new season of Gardeners World, I see how important our companion animals are in the garden so it got me thinking of my cats in the garden, especially Pippa.

Pippa is in the background on the right

some impulse purchases at Sainsbury's

I bought the Sainsbury's lupins last year as well and was pleased with them so bought more. These are some of the lupins growing this year.

some of the other plants and bulbs I saw for sale at Sainsbury's

 

coltsfoot

11-3-2026 

 

10-3-2026  local walk 

the Danish scurvygrass is in bloom along the main road

an early scurvygrass rosette

the three white flowers in bloom: chickweed, Danish scurvygrass, hairy bittercress

rosettes, of course, and not just the usual but surprised to see catsear here, don't usually along the main road, Crepis vesicaria on the left, catsear in the middle and I'd have to look closer at the group on the right, herb robert above and below and some small rosettes including Danish scurvygrass 

nearby the dandelion protected by that piece of carpet dumped there, first noticed it last year and it bloomed 

another dandelion

quite a nice specimen of stinging nettle

lots of dittander shoots

I see lots of Danish scurvygrass amongst the dittander

lots of garlic mustard shoots there (at least until they're strimmed down)

last year they savagely strimmed this area (no idea why, it wasn't in the way or bothering anyone) but they don't pick up the rubbish

 

in my garden, marsh marigold

my plan is to dig a pond but in the meantime, washing up bowls are my ponds

I don't get too many giant scabious self-seeding but I'm glad to see one in one of my pots.

giant knapweed shoots, in a pot

and in the ground

monkshood shoot

I noticed this large willowherb shoot recently. I have a few willowherbs in the garden including great hairy willowherb and rosebay willowherb but this is something else. I want to identify it specifically so will observe it this year and photograph it. 

green alkanet with buds

honesty seedling

water figwort rosette and it looks like a Crepis vesicaria on the right

narrow-leaved ragwort seen yesterday in east London

smooth sow thistle on the left and narrow-leaved ragwort on the right

Eastern rocket rosette

we have some sun!  Pippa and the other cats are enjoying it

primroses on a nearby verge

also on the verge, cow parsley, first I've seen this year

lesser celandine rosette on a nearby pavement

daffodils and muscari

beaked hawk's-beard (Crepis vesicaria) rosettes

hedge mustard rosettes

close-up of one from above

prickly sow thistle rosette

smooth sow thistle rosettes

dandelions

close-up of another fat bud

nipplewort rosettes

hoary mustard rosettes (shepherd's purse below)

Danish scurvygrass (Cochlearia danica)

knapweed possibly on a nearby roundabout

seen on a local walk

goosegrass (Galium aparine) rosette

bristly oxtongue rosette, Bellis perennis and mouseear chickweed

lesser celandine in bud

wintercress rosette

coltsfoot

violets

back in my garden, marsh marigold

iris

Amwell Nature Reserve  22-2-2026

16-2-2026

hellebore

hoary stock

Pippa

14-2-2026

Last year I had a lot of self-seeded plants in my new garden, especially dandelions and beaked hawk's-beards (Crepis vesicaria). Some, I wasn't certain which were which but I took monthly photos and was able to observe them to blooming and identification, in spite of the extreme heat and drought. Both plants are resistant to both. I think I had about 15 Crepis and 15 dandelions but I need to look at my final results. This year I'm noticing some new rosettes which I will number and track although the last plants I tried to label and observe ended up with the plant labels scattered with all the animals in the garden.  

two Crepis vesicaria rosettes

Crepis vesicaria

dandelion and Crepis vesicaria rosette

some are in pots so I will need to plant them out in the ground

Crepis vesicaria and dandelion (and forget-me-nots)

2 Crepis vesicaria and 2 dandelions

Crepis vesicaria and forget-me-nots

Crepis vesicaria self-seeded in a pot with an amaryllis

Crepis vesicaria self-seeded in a pot with a passionflower

woolly thistle rosette

smooth sow thistle

spear thistle

cudweed

I think this is fox-and-cubs but I will observe how it develops

this rough hawkbit was looking good but after a freeze the leaves turned brown but now green shoots are growing

poppy seedlings

rhubarb

hyacinth in the trough along the driveway

I planted rosemary in the trough, initially 6, will probably need more plants, 3 plants with buds from the garden centre and 3 plants from the supermarket

 

14-2-2026

I love observing self-seeders, what some may call "weeds". I loved this location until recently when I went there after not having seen it for a few months and found the environment so full of rubbish there wasn't even space for the weeds to grow.

one of only a few plants I saw that day (in situ above), hedge mustard 

dandelion and stone parsley

hedge mustard rosettes

left to right, dandelion, stone parsley, hedge mustard

 

back in my garden, hoary stock buds and vivipary, seeds germinating in the seedheads on the right

all that rain has also wetted the seedheads so I've noticed more vivipary, on the hoary stocks

this Verbena bonariensis seedhead looks like it might have a bit of vivipary 

more sea holly vivipary

I will try again to plant those seedlings as I love sea holly and want more of them. I grew these from seed, started 2 years ago, they bloomed last year. I am so happy they survived the slugs and the winter and there are new shoots starting at the bottom. 

and shoots along the stem

so much rain recently, puddles in my garden

I have a 6 m trough along the side of my driveway. My first year here I didn't have time to force my hyacinths although I'd already bought the bulbs before I moved so just brought them with me. After I moved I planted the hyacinths in the trough. They were great that first year but this 2nd year they're not nearly so strong. I planted a few small plants amongst the hyacinths last year and there were a few existing plants. So it's a mixture with various plants including hyacinths, some coming into bloom, some coming into bud. I didn't put much more compost in but I see this year I must top it up. 

flowers just starting on the lithodora 

dandelions as well as the hyacinths, muscari on the right?

armeria on the left

giant knapweed seedlings from the vivipary

teasel vivipary

Centaurea montana seedlings

asophodel seedlings

fennel shoots

daffodils

Scilla hyacinthloides shoots (Pippa's paws on the left)

closer view of those shoots

spring dandelions

other rosettes

Crepis vesicaria

hoary mustard

smooth sow thistle

shepherds purse