Is that a poached egg in your garden ? (Limnanthes Poached Egg Plant)

Member Name: mumsymary

Product:	Limnanthes Poached Egg Plant
Date:	28/02/08 (61 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Bees like it , so do I

Disadvantages: None

Is that a poached egg I see in your garden? Well it might be Limnanthes douglasii otherwise known as the poached egg plant, sometimes called the scrambled egg plant too.
This is an annual I remember my dad growing in his garden as a border plant. Sometimes dads would put on e in the patio pot. Dad would sometimes grow one in a pot for my mum as a houseplant.

As you can imagine from the name the flower of this plant looks like a poached egg , The leaves are a pale green the flower saucer shaped is white tinged with yellow the centre of the plant are a bright yellow. This plant grows about 6 inches/15 cm tall spreads across the ground for 15 inches/40 cm.
This flower smells sweet it's a light perfume stronger in the sunshine.
If you sow these seeds in March after the frosts you will be rewarded my flowers in June through till August. Sow in a seed tray with seed compost and plant out when big enough. You can sow this seed direct into the ground. If you let the poached egg set seed you will get some self setting for next year .You could also seed this plant in June it will then flower indoors in the winter.

I will grow this plant in my garden The poached egg plant likes the sun and a free draining soil it attracts bees, hoverflies and possibly butterflies. Some seeds merchants sell this seed in their wildlife attracting section.
A packet of these seeds costs £1.70 from http://www.suttons.co.uk/pd141452PoachedEggPlantLi mnanthesDouglasii_S eeds.htm also from http://fothergills.co.uk/en/limnanthes-poached-egg -plant-914.aspx. The seeds of the poached egg plant are widely available at garden centres too.
This flower is a bright cheery one certainly worth a place in the garden. Enjoy your garden. Mary

Summary: A pretty cottage garden flower