Is it a weed or a wonderful plant??
By Genuisscuffy
Hampshire,
United Kingdom 
Can anyone help for a couple of years in my front garden I have a bed of my Dad's old roses (30 years old now and been moved about 7 times!) but of course with old roses they are getting a bit knarly at the bottom. One year this plant seeded itself and its been great - it covers the bottom of the roses in loads of purple flowers on quite tall spikes with the roses sticking out at the top - but everyone is asking what it is and I dont have a clue any ideas??
7 Jul, 2009
Answers
Oh thank you - the bees love it and as it does its job covering up the horrible bits of the rose I will definately keep it!!
7 Jul, 2009
It may be worth dead heading it when there flowers are oover or else it will seed itself everywhere! perhaps just leave one or two spikes and you will still have planty of seedlings!
7 Jul, 2009
Its Lovely :)
7 Jul, 2009
Well I did notice a plant 5 gardens down this year!!! Shh... she likes it too!!!
7 Jul, 2009
I love it too. you can also get a white and a pink form. they pull up easily if they get too rampant.
7 Jul, 2009
Mine are dark blue. Is it a different variety or am I colour blind?
7 Jul, 2009
it comes in a range of blue/purple shades. the human eye is very 'false' when it comes to the blue end of the spectrum :o)
8 Jul, 2009
I have blue and pink, I let it self seed and move it pull it up if I want something else to grow there.
8 Jul, 2009
Thank you all for your comments - its nice to put a name to a plant!
11 Jul, 2009
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It is called Purple Toadflax (Linaria purpurea).
It is grown as agarden plant but does seed around quite a lot.
7 Jul, 2009