Yucca?

That was my first thought, but I've never seen Yucca flowers quite as pink as this. I'm off to do a bit of research...

The leaves weren't right for Yucca - not stiff or spiky. Thanks for the thought!

Might be Yucca whipplei - trouble is there's a lot of Yuccas, but most of them aren't in our books here. Were those flowers scented, Spritz?

wow

Oh dear - I didn't sniff them! I was too busy trying NOT to sniff in the cold! LOL.
So do you think it 'is' a Yucca - but without the spikes?

Not Y. whipplei, I don't think, but I do still think its some kind of Yucca, spritz - those flower buds are exactly how they look before they open on ordinary Yuccas, and the central leaves of the clump look pretty stiff and pointy, even if they don't have a sharp barb on the end.

OK....thanks! It could be one that isn't hardy elsewhere, of course, having seen what this garden is able to grow without winter protection! Not fair, is it? It's only about 5 miles as the crow flies from us.

I bet Andrew would know, or Fractal

Yessssss...pity Fractal isn't available. Andrew probably GROWS it! LOL.

An interesting one....I saw Fractal today and told him to get his "butt" on here!!!!!!!

Did you? I know he's 'off' at the moment....I hope he comes 'on' again soon. We need him! ;-)))

He said he would......

Well done, Alice! ;-)) Was that when you had him in a head-lock? lol.

Could it be a phormium, the pink stem taking off to the right looks like my phormium flower stem but different colour.

Spritz!!!.....lol......:-0)

It's a Beschorneria, but I'm not sure which one. The only species I've met personally is B. yuccoides, which is stiffer and oranger than this one. They are close kin to Yuccas and Agaves, by the way.

So 'that's' what a Beschorneria looks like! Thanks, Tug. :-)

Great stuff Tug. I would love one of these and went looking for it and found it. I am surprised at the very modest price.

BESCHORNERIA septentrionalis 150cm £5.00
Big rosettes of strap-like leaves, and dramatic shocking red-pink flower stalks bearing pendulous red and green flowers. Well drained soil in sun.
.http://www.avondalenursery.co.uk/Content/Main/events.asp
The above nursery do not do mail order so I phoned Hilliers in Bath. They say they do not do that plant as it is tender. They used to sell a fair amount in Cornwall but the last winter could have seen them off. They need to be protected. All very interesting. Can anyone add more?

Doesn't that just show how sheltered that garden is - I'm not really surprised that it's tender, or that it survived the winter with NO protection....

Fantastic, now we know what it is - I want one! though probably not sheltered enough, but I'd risk it anyway, just to see.

It was an amazing sight - those flowers!!!! You'd need a huge space....

Just found a picture of this plant in Gardeners World magazine June 2010, states that it is what Tugbrethil says Beschorneria yuccoides, also known as the Mexican Lily, a smashing succulent with large sword shaped leaves which can reach up to 1m long, flowers which are green and red produced in summer on flower stalk in proportion to sizeable rosette of fleshy leaves reaching up to 1.9m! It is a perennial which should flower regularly in the UK but is only half-hardy so not the easiest plant to grow. Needs very sunny spot extremely free draining soil. Needs alot of protection in winter and generally easier to grow in a large container, which you can then wheel into a protected spot in winter. (from gardeners world magazine) Hope this is helpful!!

Thanks, Daylily - good for Tug! Spot on...Doesn't that just go to show that the open garden must have its own micro-climate. They certainly don't uproot it and move it each year!!!