PS Does anyone else get peat free compost like photo2? I`m thinking of going back to peat as I have so much plastic, large lumps of wood and weed seeds in peat free. This is supposed to be multiporpoise compost, being used for seeds, baskets, containers, potting on, etc. Such bits of sticks surely won`t help seeds germinate, never mind dolphins!

Can't help with the plant but yes noticed the compost I bought this year was far more fibrous than usual. But I did buy cheap and cheerful bargain 120litre bags from homebase so can't really complain, it'll break down eventually.

I'd say yes to both...there are many many different species and cultivars that take on different appearances. It'll be damn good fun finding out just what they are though.

Kere, most people now are riddling their compost to get the lumps out. For seedlings, seed and cutting compost should be used rather than multi purpose anyway, and again, riddled if its very lumpy, which it shouldn't be, in theory.

Judging by the photos, photo 1 looks like the seed of Datura metel. Photo 2 looks like Datura metel (the swollen base is what I'm looking at). Photo 3 looks like Datura stramonium - look at the serrated leaves.

I too am rather unimpressed by the peat free compost that I bought. I think that it must have been sourced from one of the council composters, as it produced lots of unwanted seedlings, including Dandelion. I've switched back to Erin, which is now "reduced peat".

Thanks all, yes meanie 3 is D.stramonium. I hope 2 is D.metel from what i`ve googled, pretty flowers, maybe I`ll give a go as bedding, maybe leave the odd one to see if it survives the winter...
Bamboo, I thought that paying for stuff in bags was supposed to save me from extra jobs, not give me more. I can goto my local park, or even a local street to collect a mix of rubbish and plant matter, compost it down for 6-8 months, and come up with something far better than I have been getting. If you are saying that most people are riddling their bought "compost" before they can use it, doesn`t this suggest that the companies that supply peat free aren`t doing their job?
Never mind the weed seeds.

I just grow D.metel as an annual. However, D.wrightii forms a tuberous root that can be over-wintered as you would a Dahlia.

Thanks Meanie, looks like I have a lot to learn about daturas still. Any good seed stockists that you can recommend for different varieties?

PM me your address and I can send you seeds for D.wrightii (link below)

http://www.growsonyou.com/meanie/photos/wrightii