My favourite flower from the latest trip to the Bute Park borders – I’ll tell you what it is later…
Just as I have been following a tree every month in Bute Park, Cardiff, I have also been “following” the herbaceous borders there since they came to life in spring. My latest visit was on August 6. This is a view of the borders taken while standing near my Paulownia tree, but zoomed in quite a bit…
Bute Park herbaceous borders in August
Mostly this post is just about the pretty flowers. But as I sat eating my breakfast sandwich at the park cafe next to the red pedestrian bridge over the river I noticed a steady stream of people young and old dragging their heavy luggage along the tarmac path between the herbaceous borders. One very pleasant Indian woman and her little daughter even came over to ask me – where do the National Express coaches go from? I directed her over the footbridge to Sophia Gardens.
But it shouldn’t be this way and I feel I need to have a go at the Cardiff powers-that-be over their closure of the central bus station. The area next to the central railway station is now being redeveloped, including a flash new HQ for the BBC in Wales. Meanwhile, for a couple of years until we get a (still vague) new station, the local buses depart from stops scattered all over the streets of the city centre.
The rail station and former bus station are at the bottom of this map – the National Express bus point is at the top
It’s even worse for long-distance travellers. The National Express coaches drop off and pick up in Sophia Gardens, a long way from the station if you are hauling luggage. And it’s not even signposted. I only knew about it because I edited a story about the changes for our newspapers a couple of weeks ago. I suspect most people seeking their coaches walk along Westgate Street and through Bute Park, but they would be quicker going along the riverside boardwalk, if only someone would point it out to them.
The bus confusion is bad enough for us locals, but I dread what visitors to our lovely city must think. I just hope they have time to enjoy the flowers if they take the Bute Park route to and from their coaches. OK, rant over – here are the flowers…
We have this Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ in our garden, too…
The Crocosmia looks good alongside this beautiful Hosta – we also have one very like it (big blue leaves, purple flowers) in our garden, although in a large pot to protect it from slugs
I think this is a Penstemon – we can’t grow them in our shady garden
I love the architectural look of these globe thistles (possibly Echinops nivalis)…
…very popular with the bees
Not to be confused with these globe Alliums, now gone over…
I think this may have been the same plant a month ago
The Agapanthus is another plant with (almost) globe-shaped flowers
Here’s one I always smile at because I know its Latin name – Sedum spectabile or iceplant – next time I visit the flowers should be pink
Not a very good picture, but another one I love saying in Latin – Verbena bonariensis – the bonariensis refers to Buenos Aires, as the plant is native to South America
Of course I know this, but usually as a street plant – Buddleia or butterfly tree – you don’t often see it in pretty pink, though
This is the flower pictured at the top of the post…
It’s also available in blue…
…and when I first saw it at Powis Castle last summer I thought it was a big Campanula…
Taller variety of the blue flower at Powis Castle in August 2014
…and finally, these opening buds shows why the common name of this flower is the balloon flower – its Latin name is Platycodon grandiflorus – and it is indeed a member of the Campanulaceae family
I think this is a gentian, but bigger than the usual little rockery plant – it’s probably Gentiana asclepiadea or willow gentian
I never grow tired of this shade of blue
Purple Gladioli – we grew them when I was a child and we had a sunnier, flatter garden…
The purple looks great alongside bright coneflowers (Rudbeckia), with bear’s breeches (Acanthus) behind
And here’s another Gladiolus – the name is Latin for “little sword”
Gladioli don’t die gracefully but I still often buy them as cut flowers – and try not to notice the dying blooms as they fade from the bottom of the spike upwards
Although I love the individual flowers up close, I must also share the general views of the borders…
…and another one
I love the acid green of spurge (Euphorbia)…
…but here’s one of a different shade
This is Achillea filipendula (yarrow or milfoil)…
…which looks good behind day lilies (Hemerocallis)
I think this is Phlox, whose name means “flame” in Greek – it’s probably Phlox paniculata
Dainty Heuchera plants are still going strong
These flowers are small, too – I guessed Potentilla…
…and a quick check online suggests they are Potentilla nepalensis, probably the variety “Miss Willmott”
If that is the right one, it was named after an eccentric English garden enthusiast called Ellen Ann Willmott (1860-1934) and you can read all about her here.
The Potentilla part of the name was originally Tormentilla, meaning “little torment”, because a European species of this plant was used as a remedy for small aches and pains. But later confusion with other words changed the name to Potentilla.
The common name for this and related plants is cinquefoil, meaning “five leaves” in old French. Relatives include strawberry and avens (Geum).
A last general view of the borders until next time…
And sorry again about my earlier rant!
Stunning photo’s. I love Gladioli.
Thank you – I love them as cut flowers but so often you find they have rust on their stems, so I always check before buying…
Best wishes 🙂
Thank you – I love them as cut flowers but so often you find they have rust on their stems, so I always check before buying…
Best wishes 🙂
I do rather sympathise with the travellers. Dragging a heavy suitcase is bad enough when you know where you are going. Way back when they first opened London City Airport we hiked across muddy ‘fields’ to get to the underground.
Thank you for commenting on this point and sharing your experience.
I try not to get controversial in my blog, but just couldn’t help it!
I don’t know what people think in Cape Town, but here the subjects top of their gripes are usually transport and refuse collection!
Best wishes 🙂
I like to know where I’m going Pat so would probably be highly anxious (transport). Don’t blame you for the (justified) rant.
You’ve reminded me we had gladioli in my childhood home – at the front and border that ran around the side of the house. Overriding memory is purple. And I remember digging up a bulb and then having to find somewhere to hide it …
I love the globe thistles. Interesting to look at.
BTW, remember that Robin Hobb continuing trilogy I told you about? The first book in the first trilogy (Farseers trilogy Assassin’s Apprentice) is £1.99 on Kindle. Wasn’t sure if you had read it.
Cheers!
Thanks for all that. We have had a minor victory on the local-bus front as I was quietly boycotting one bendy bus I used to like as it stopped right by my office. After the changes it stopped a few hundred yards away, which annoyed me and made me turn to a different bus run by a rival operator. Now the bendy bus is back to its usual stop. We are all delighted. Yay!
I have lovely red gladioli in the kitchen at the moment – I was amazed how cheap they were at Tesco’s (by chance the shop is right by the bus stop mentioned above). Just £1.50 a bunch, so I bought two.
At £1.99 I’ll get that book for my Kindle NOW. May be a while before I read it, though!
All the best 🙂
Victory 😀 Wonder if they’re on offer here too …
You won’t regret investing that £1.99 on Robin Hobb’s first trilogy.
Enjoy your weekend Pat.
Glad you got somewhere with the buses! Lovely pics and wonderful floral displays; we complain about our weather, but it does bring out the best in the flowers. You’re getting a bit good at the names now – perhaps you could give harassed travellers a soothing guided tour?
As long as I don’t have to carry their bags for them!