Mottisfont Abbey plant id

[ifIwerenotanandroid]

First let me say I'm sorry I have no photos. I visited Mottisfont rose garden this week & saw 2 amazing, tall plants there which I didn't recognise:

1. Maybe 3' tall, sparse mid-green, long, thin leaves from the base of the stem with a texture like a pot marigold leaf. Flowers way above the foliage were bright blue with a white centre & maybe an inch across.
2. A bit taller, divided slightly blue-green foliage & very unusual flowers: small clusters of bright yellow stand-up fluff with no petals visible.

I think you've got it! Thanks. That looks a lot like it. Seeing that picture makes me think it had those chocolatey stems, but I'd forgotten that.

I’d wondered about that, but didn’t think the white centre was sufficiently pronounced for you to mention it . Glorious plant! I have two seedlings at the moment, by next year they’ll be 5 ft tall and covered in deep blue flowers. My DM used to grow it, and I didn’t know what it was, very happy to have rediscovered the seeds on Chiltern a few years ago. Sadly, it’s not a long lived plant, hence the current seedlings.

Ah, I did think it sounded like an alkanet on steroids but hadn't come across that variety. Lovely.

@MontyDonsBlueScarf It looks like the wonderful posters of MN have id'd both plants.

Thank you so much for your kind offer.💐 I was hoping someone on MN would have some connection to Mottisfont, because MN is just that sort of place - you never know who's on here.

Now you can stand next to the plants tonight looking glamorous, drink in hand, jazz playing in the background, & say, "What a simply marvellous anchusa/thalictrum!" & everyone around you will be most impressed! (Maybe you could've done that anyway.)

😁🍾🍓🎷I shall most certainly do that!

Well I left my phone in the car, but fortunately my friend didn't. They were both pretty impressive in the flesh. Sorry no gardeners around to ask but at least you have some pictures now (no thanks to me!). Weather turned chilly so no more glamorous ones but garden, Pimm's, jazz and mystery plant hunt were still enjoyed.

Hope these were the right ones!

Well, those two are definitely Anchusa azurea and Thalictrum !

Spot on @MontyDonsBlueScarf & many thanks!