I saw these plants at Highdown Gardens

The first looks like hermodactylus tuberosus, a tuberous bulb or perennial from the Mediterranean area.

The second could be the seedheads from a phlomis of some sort. There are both shrubby and herbaceous members of this family

I've been trying to grow Hermodactylus for the last three years - I gather that it takes a while to settle down, but I haven't succeeded in getting any flowers as yet. :-(

mine flowered the first year and again last year. I had to lift them for the conservatory, just hope they are ok.

Thanks, Andrew, Spritz and Sbg. There were about twenty of them in a shady border and I was fascinated by them! Are we agreed on the second pic being a Phlomis? I hope to post a blog later, which will include these plants, and don't want to look a complete idiot ... lol!

The hermodactylus are really striking and so different from a lot of flowers.

I've never seen them before but they are really worth thinking about for my wish list.

Yes, the second one is of Phlomis seedheads. Probably P. russeliana.

Many thanks, Volunteer.