What is this flower?

[whatatip]

Seen in France on the roadside this summer. Hopefully the photo will be on my profile, but it is the only thing on there so let me know if you can't see it.

Any ideas?

Can't see it sorry. Don't think your profile is public.

Can't see your profile :)

OK sorry, I have made my profile public now.

I can't see the picture properly, - ae you talking about the tall pik and white flowers?

Judging from the leaves i'd say Lupins. though the ones in your pic look like they are on their way out..they normally have flowers all up the stems.

They're not lupins. As far as I can see (the picture goes rather fuzzy when I magnify it) the pink and white flowers are cleome. They're easy to grow from seed but the seedlings are very attractive to slugs so you have to be ruthless in protecting them (the plants, not the slugs!).

More cleome info here. I love cleomes.

Yup, agree, Cleome. The slugs ate every single one of mine down to the roots this year.

::Expresses solidarity with oldenoughtowearpurple (great name, by the way)::

Thank you, Cleome it is. I have a snail/slug infested garden, so not sure I will grow it. I do like it though, and think the French municipal planting much nicer and more tasteful than what I am used to around here.

It'll probably be fine if you buy bigger, tougher plants - it seems to be the seedlings which succumb (as with sunflowers, IME).

I love French municipal planting - first of all because there's so much of it (every roundabout seems to look like a Chelsea garden) and it's so imaginative. This year seemed to be a big year for gaura lindheimeri.