Hi -it's Apple of Peru. I have a few pots of them - the larger the pot, the larger the plant grows. Loads of flowers and then attractive seed pods (with thousands of seeds!). Next year, you'll probably find several have seeded themselves - I've got one growing through a crack in the concrete this year.

Its posh name is Nicandra physalodes, also called the Shoo-fly, because it is reputed to repel flies. It is an annual and often crops up at random in gardens.

Just about to send name of plant to you but have been beaten to it. I have grown them from seed this year they are lovely but i have never had 100% success with seeds untill these - all my neighbours have loads of plants in their gardens as couldn't fit them all in mine!

I start the seeds off in a seed tray on the window-sill, which works well. The seedlings are really attractive, with deep pink stems, and bright green leaves with little black spiky bits (that's the technical term).

When I started growing this plant I was told that if you grow them in the greenhouse or tunnel it wards off greenfly etc. I tried it and it works. Better than using chemicals that kill everything, even helpful insects, don't you think? Worth a try anyway. And the plants are lovely in themselves - double bonus.

Hi Judith - I cant say i noticed any lack of any type of fly in my greenhouse!
Sue

I did and when I took them out they all came back! Mind you the plants were quite big and in flower so maybe that has something to do with it. It worked for me but then I don't use any chemicals at all so perhaps that helped as well.