More Celmisia (& Partridge News)

Of the genus ‘Compositae’ (posh word for daisy) the Celmisia flower is actually almost perfection with three layers of clean white petals and a central disk of golden yellow.

What more can I say? They last a couple of weeks and en mass are very dramatic as yesterdays photograph shows. A good plant in a container, for which they are ideal, is also quite stunning and can be moved about a patio area or suchlike. In a good sized pot outside the door they are in all fairness very useful and architectural because of the bright silver mound. In a suitably contrasting pot this can be truly spectacular.

That is all I will ever do on Celmisia’s, if I sound less than inspired it is because when you have potted up 6000 each year for the past decade you simply get pissed off looking at them!

On the partridge front there is good and bad news. Good is that she seems fine and a week after spraying is sitting tightly on a clutch, however, the bad news is that this evening (Sunday) I found what I assume is one of her eggs twenty feet away from her nest. I do not know why or what has moved it but she seems well enough, I have not seen her fly off to feed so have been unable to count how many eggs of the thirteen she is still brooding, I hope it is twelve now but fear it may be less because it must be something large to move an egg that far. Does anyone have any suggestions, a rat or a squirrel maybe? There are also hedgehogs in the garden I believe…..it is a mystery to me and there is little I can do except let nature take its course. I will keep you posted of any developments.