What;'s this flower?

[WigWamBam]

I've seen a lovely little alpine (I think) flower in someone's garden and I'd love to know what it is so I can get some! It looks a bit like a daisy in form, but bigger, it has long, slim petals around a dark centre, the flower is about 2" across and opens wide out in sunshine but seems to close again in the shade. The flower is a dark bluey/purple colour, a bit like the colour of a dark Michaelmas daisy, the stem is short, and there is a small amount of slightly feathered foliage. Anyone know what this is?

It was - thank you ever so much

WWB by now you could have gone to the house, knocked on the door and found out from the experts themselves! Surely you could do that, couldn't you? I am very shy, but with a specific purpose in mind even I could knock on a stranger's door. Gardening folk are usually very friendly!

Nooooooooo! I'd sooner run down the street naked than knock on a stranger's door! Honestly, I just can't do that!

Could you sneakily take a photo with a digital camera and upload it onto the net so we can all have a look? You could stick it in your members' profile and then link from this thread.

I've even had my RHS plant book out and can't identify it - you'll have to go and knock on their door, WWB!!

Dh has the digital camera today but I might be able to do that tomorrow.

I'm not knocking at anyone's door - looks like I'm going to have to sneak out and steal them

Well, one way or another you're going to have to find out what it is, WWB, as half of Mumsnet is now mystified by this amazing plant and we want to know!!

Osteospurmum?

I think they're taller though.

Or Brachycome?

more of that Brach... plant

Is it a purple aster? here

what colour is the centre?

It's none of those. The centre is small and dark, CD, not black but kind of a darker version of the colour of the petals.

I've gone right through my dictionary of garden plants and I can't find it ... I think I can feel a trip to the garden centre (with crossed fingers) coming on.

Swan River Daisy ?

No! But thanks everyone for looking

pop a note through their door with your phone number?

How about this anemone blanda

Different to the last one

Oh, that's close, actually, CD - although I'm sure that the centre is darker than that (although that could be just my brains having fallen out again ). It's the right shape and size though ...

There are lots of different anemones, and they're breeding new ones all the time. Going by the foliage and the time of year, it got to be an anemone!

The foliage is definitely anemone-like. I think you're right, it has to be an anemone of some kind, I really would love to find out what so I can go and get some.

Oh just go and ask!!!! Or as Lou says, write them a note and post it through the door.

We're unlikely to be able to guess the variety from a description

I know, SD, I just thought that someone might recognise the description, that's all. I didn't realise it was likely to be some fancy variety that would have everyone scratching their heads!

I'm too much of a wuss to knock on someone's door and ask them about their plants, though

Creep up and stick a note through their door under cover of darkness