Wednesday 20 January 2010

ABC Wednesday Round 6 A

A is for Agapanthus, known also as 'The Lily of the Nile'. It is a perennial herbaceous plant native to South Africa. I have grown them in tubs in our garden for many years and love them for their colour and form. The one in the photo below is 'ripening' - the flowers take a long time to open and then reward patience with a beautiful display for many weeks. Sadly, last summer's display was most disappointing, with just one bloom. Usually, there are 10 to 12 stems, 2' in height.

There are many shades of blue.This flower head is 'ripening'.

There are white forms too. The flowers on this stem are beginning to open.

Our white Agapanthus didn't appear at all!
I understand that these wonderful flowers are considered invasive pests in Australasia - oh, that it were so in our garden!

Thank you to the ABC team for hosting this fascinating meme. To see more illustrations for A please click here.

16 comments:

  1. It is indeed a beautiful plant. I'll have to learn more about this particular species. Thanks for posting it! The top photo reminds me a tiny bit of a crocus plant.

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  2. Kate - I see what you mean about crocus :-)

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  3. Gorgeous flowers and photos! Love the colors! Hope your week is going well!

    Sylvia

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  4. Thank you Sylvia - you too :-) I can't believe we're half-way through another week.

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  5. How beautiful! My husband's uncle farmed that flower on the Big Island of Hawaii. They called it Blue Lily however. I don't think they ever knew its real name.

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  6. Beautiful ... I do love this plant in both colors ;-)
    Hugs and blessings,

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  7. What a beautiful flower, and I love the name Lily of the Nile.

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  8. They are spectacular plants and put on a beautiful summer show. Guess yours are being coseting under cover at this time of year. Roll on the summer.

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  9. Beautiful Agapanthus! I love this flower too and also grow it in tubs. Like you I only had about 4 heads last year instead of the usual 8 or 9. Hoping for better things this summer!!

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  10. They are very beautiful Janice. I prefer the blue and would love them to invade my garden.

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  11. Ah, I like these a lot! Beautiful!

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  12. Beautiful plants. I wish agapanthus were a tad bit hardier so I could grow them as perennials here in Ontario. I know people in Toronto who grow them but where I live is colder. So sorry you had only one bloom last year. Perhaps you;ll have more than that this year.

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  13. I love the roundish design of both flower groups. Quite ATTRACTIVE>

    On behalf of the ABC Wednesday team, which I just joined, thank you!

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  14. Thank you all for your comments. I'm sorry those of you in colder climes can't grow them. I suspect I really should have split ours as I can see that the tub is breaking - oh dear!

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  15. Agapanthus - perfect! I love them, too, such grand flowers.

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