Echiums

Guernsey Donkey2

These are some of the Echiums growing in our garden this year - they take two years to flower and then die down - throwing their seeds out as they flower, so next year's plants are already taking root now. The plants are in full flower - small pink to purple in colour and the plants were covered in busy humming bees. You can see from the sky that the weather hasn't really been good for photography today.

Rubytoo

They are like a little forest,  so glad to see they are still upright with the weather we have had, or is that strings I can see you have tied them together to save them.
It looks a very open spot there.
Must be lovely to see and hear them covered in bees.

ForTheBees

I've got some vipers blugloss for the first time. The first spike is now in flower and looking great, although the bees seem to be taking their time to find it.

Guernsey Donkey2

You are correct @Rubytoo there are a couple of sturdy stakes and some string holding these plants against a strong wind, it is an exposed spot to the wind - the other tall echiums we have are against an even taller wall so do not move in the wind.  In hindsight I should have removed the ugly string before I took this picture.

I am sure the bees will find the flowers pretty soon @ForTheBees, echiums are one of their favourite plants.

Lyn

Mine are still about a 2’ tall, no sign of flowers yet.  I was hoping for flowers this year but now I’m not sure, they’re a 3 year cycle here. 

Guernsey Donkey2

If your weather is suffering from a lack of warmth and most recently sunshine too then there is every chance that your plants will take three years to mature @Lyn, the weather is so changeable - not the best of summers yet - but that could all change soon......maybe!

Rubytoo

Sorry Guernsey I didn't see the string ...that much... honest
Just pleased for you they are upright, you have to do what you have to sometimes you should see some of my  emergency supports, so much more Heath Robinson 

Do the stems get much thicker and more sturdy if they take a third year to mature?

Lyn

Mine take 3 years, it’s cold and windy here,  self seed in 1st year, small plants 2nd year, flower 3rd year,  they get trunks about as thick as my arm, quite prehistoric, they are black and usually trail along the soil before they grow upwards.
When they’ve seeded I have  to get my OH to lift them out, too big and heavy for me. 

Rubytoo

Thanks @Lyn, I knew they got tall but not that they got that heavy
Did wonder how they stay upright.

Now who is going to have the biggest, and how are you all going to measure them

Lyn

A couple of years ago I had one 20’ tall, it bent over, curled then pwent on up. It had a trunk like a tree. 
This one got frozen one winter, would have bloomed next year.

Guernsey Donkey2

Luckily they have quite shallow roots, hence the stake and string to keep them from toppling over in a windy spot.  Shallow roots means you can let them grow close to other plants as Lyn has done.  The one in the picture above looks so healthy Lyn, and you have planted well, the stems on ours tend to be bare for the first 18 inches or so. We will have to try better, in fact we were tying some more to stakes this morning.