Sedum spectabile

Sedums are lovely to have in the garden. The butterflies Love them.

I didn't know butterflies loved these, thanks for the info Lindak :-)
I bought this plant at a car-boot sale early spring, not knowing what it is.
It was just a small thing, about 5cm, and only 60p :)
The seller said, "it's hardy," that was all I was told!
When the flowers came up last month, I was totally gutted because I knew the flowers and I wasn't very keen on them!!! But!! The colours of this one aren't bad, thank God; very gentle pale pink. I love it now :D
I'm surprised how fast they grew; it's got very big!

We've had a Red Admiral butterfly visiting us every day for a taste of the sedums.

How nice!!
The Brugmansia in your avatar looks fantastic by the way!!

Thanks Tommy I had quite a lot of them but left them for the other people who took our old home over, We don't live there anymore and have moved to something a bit smaller and started the garden from scratch again. Blitzed the whole lot and have just got the plants settling in. The hedgehogs have stayed with us while everything has been going on and now we are settled they still come every night until they hibernate for the winter. Saw 3 in the garden last night snuffling about.

How fantastic! You saw 3 hedgehogs last night (and they come every night)!
Your new place sounds like a beautiful place full of nature.

You left all the Brugmansia for the people? How generous of you. Have you got any Brugmansia in your new garden? I have none, but am thinking about buying one (or two, or more?) next year, or some time in the future. I love the magical sweet scent in the evening.

Haven't the room here to keep them over the winter months.

Ohh..
But you have many pretty bonsais, which make up for Brugmansia.

Yes we have to tend them but we enjoy them.

Yes you have to take care of bonsais on an everyday basis.
There is a small town called Bonsai-cho ('cho' means town) in the city where my parents live. I've never bothered to visit there but maybe I should one day.

I have to water every day in SUmmer and sometimes give them a soak in a large shallow dish of water for half an hour then take them out. We cut the roots back every 2 years and prune back or cut out dead wood and place some bonsai soil inot the pots. SOmetimes they have to have a bigger pot. I feed them occassionally too with bonsai feed. WHen the saplings are young I bend them into shapes so the the trunks are different.

That's a lot of work, watering them, caring them and all! You sound like a specialist! Bending the saplings with wires must be fun and also rewarding.

Tommy..... I am no specialist, honestly, I just try to follow the rules with the help from books and by talking to other people, Gerry and I just have a go at these things. Sometimes we make mistakes but that is how we learn. Gardeners usually have their own ideas on how they grow their plants and do whatever works for them. Gardening never ceases to amaze me with the diversity of plants we can buy nowadays and this site has been great for me to be able to see what other gardeners grow in their gardens all over the world.

I totally agree with you Lindak (again!). You said it! I've been interested in plants and flowers since I was a child but I did next to nothing except admiring them until I started to grow things in my own garden. It's amazing how people change with times. Now I can't live without gardening.

Basic skills I learned from my dear old grandad when he was alive. I as a child used to potter out into their garden and watch and learn from him.

Good old grandad! You had a wonderful childhood; I can almost see that.

We used to have to make our own fun as we didn't have a telly until I was 9. I still don't watch much of it now either. I only have a mobile phone for emergencies and use the ordinary phone when neccessary. I must be very old fashioned. LOL. I think being connected all the while is like living in a hive type culture and it's not for me.