Limnanthes
Common name: Poached Egg Plant
Overview:
Limnanthes douglasii is a quick-growing hardy annual with lightly scented flowers, that appears from late June into September.
The 25-30mm diameter cup-shaped yellow flowers that have white edges to the petals and give the appearance of the yolk of an egg on the white mass of a poached egg, hence the common name.
The foliage has glossy pale-green feathery leaves.
This is an edging/border plant grows 150-200mm (6"-8") high, and is attractive to bees and hoverflies.
This attribute makes it a useful companion plant in the vegetable bed or greenhouse as the resulting emergence of hoverfly larvae will help to keep aphids at bay.
Being a marsh plant it makes for a useful edging plant to a water feature.
It is also useful in rockeries providing the soil remains moist.
It readily self seeds resulting in self-sown plants being produced in succeeding seasons.
Cultivation:
Week 11:
Sow seed in pots/trays of seed compost and germinate at 13°C (55°F).
Germination should talk five to seven days.
Week 13:
If seedlings are large enough to handle, prick them out into cell trays or boxes of potting compost.
Gradually harden off in a coldframe until planting out time.
Week 21:
Plant out 150-200mm (6"-8") apart in an open or partially shaded spot.