What is looking good in July 2025

Its strange how we all smell things differently.

 

There are some scents that only a proportion of the population can smell. Like cyanide; it's supposed to smell of bitter almonds but not everyone can smell it. And asparagus - not everyone gets smelly pee, and not everyone can smell it if they do!

 

You can smell the almond scent if you crush peach leaves, I'm guessing that is the same cyanide smell from bitter almonds.
Lots of people like Sarcococca scent, to me its cat's pee.

There is one of those fabric softeners that just smells like dirty washing to me.

 

Its Amygdalin and other cyanide producing chemicals we can taste, that nice bitterness, but not all of the glycosides are tasteable for most people. There isnt any cyanide in the plant itself as its poisonous to them too! The cyanogens in elderberry arent strong to me.

I suspect the main almondy aroma in bitter almonds and apricot is actually unrelated, since almond extract doesnt have cyanide in.

I like eating bitter apricot kernals but only 2 a day at most because of the claimed poison risk

 

Dahlias, Heleniums and Rudbeckias.

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@Plantminded Is that third image the Mardi Gras you bought last year? It's doing well if it is.

 

Yes, it is, @LunarSea, thank you, well spotted! I have two, plus six Sahin’s Early Flowerers. A good combination for extended colour .

 

I don't know about the self seeding @Meomye as I've never grown it before. Deadheading is needed to keep it flowering well anyway, so I'm not likely to leave it to it's own devices! I'll certainly do them again next year.

I've given up with the French/African marigolds as they just get eaten as soon as they have any growth, and I have to bring them back inside. Waste of time. These ones are excellent, and have been totally slug resistant. I just grew them on and chucked a load of small plants into the large container they're in. They just seem to get on with it. I've not grown the bog standard Calendulas - or if I have, I've forgotten about it. It would have been a very very long time ago if I have.

 

I started an Ipomoea cairica (perrenial Morning Glory) this year and it is doing well with small five petal leaves and these flowers ...


... and this morning we found this coming from under the trough it is in ...

 

My Coleus is in its 5th year outside in the concrete pedestal pot (I cut it down and it quickly revives ...

 

Canna Cleo, now it is planted in the ground it has grown fast. Just a day or so behind yours @pete.

 

You have more than me @strongylodon, I only have the one plant.
Some years ago it put up just dark leaves and just green leaves, consequently I was only getting red flowers or yellow flowers.

@JWK sent me a replacement a few years ago but its pretty slow to bulk up. Removed yet another completely green shoot on my one this year.

 

@pete, this was bought two years ago and I kept it in a pot. It didn't flower last year so I planted it in early June. It has two spikes which I wasn't expecting.
I had one a few years back but it had the virus so it was burnt.

 

Bought 2 tiny Maranta Lemon and Lime ,
Potted up and looking forward to seeing them go to sleep tonight,


Jenny namaste

 

I do love your stuff Nigel