Paeony poppy
This had nothing to do with edible and useful, I just wanted to mention how much pleasure I am getting from the red flowers in my garden. Probably the most dramatic is the blood red paeony poppy. This one self sows around my garden, popping up in odd corners, often flowering where I don’t want it, but I try to leave it in place at least until it flowers. I then hoick it out leaving room to plant something else. At least one plant is left to set seed, and there are thousands. I sprinkle these around the garden, thus ensuring that the whole process will be repeated next year.
Grevillea flowers are visited by honeyeaters
Jacobean lily
Another red flower is pineapple sage, mine is the Honey Melon form of Salvia elegans, a deep, soft red with flowers full of nectar beloved by honey eaters of all sizes. I especially like watching the tree creepers feeding from these flowers. The text books say that red and yellow flowers are very attractive to birds. That is certainly true of another carmine contributor to the garden redness, a lovely muted red grevillea that is haunted by honey eaters. The red ranunculus have just finished but Jacobean Lillies (Sprekelia formosissima) are at their best with velvety, deep red petals, as are the delightful, edible day lillies. Finally a lovely vibrant red penstemon and a burgundy leaved geranium with carmine red flowers complete the current rosy hued inhabitants of my garden that lift my spirits when I wander into the garden.
Tough and cheerful geraniums
The day lily is edible as well as good to look at
