Social Isolation - Plant Identification Game

[Machiavelli]

Hello everyone, I hope you are keeping well. During this period of self isolation the kids and I have decided to try and learn about all the plants, trees and weeds in our garden, but we need some help.

We moved into our house last April. It has a well established garden, but I don’t know what anything is. I’m going to post pictures of the various plants and trees (perhaps one by one so as not to overwhelm the thread) and it would be fantastic if some of the more knowledgable gardeners could let me know the names, as well as any interesting facts about them.

 

[Machiavelli]

So, plant number 1:

 

[Mesquite]

Looks like a variety of cotoneaster

 

[Toddy]

I think so too.
Are the branches of the older wood very dark ? and if it's just leafing now, and those berries are from last year, then it's probably one of the cotoneaster horizontal types. It grows with very stiff branches and is often a kind of 'structural' plant in a garden.

It's hardy, it can be pruned and will come again. It stays green late on through into Winter and those bright red berries are often attractive to small birds.
It's safe near your children if that's of concern. The berries aren't considered edible, and definitely not to be eaten in any quantity but they don't taste good anyway, so that discourages even enquiring children. The plant is related to the firethorns, but thankfully isn't jaggy.

Nice idea for a thread

 

[Machiavelli]

Thank you both. That’s really helpful. Yes, the older wood is very dark and the berries are from last year, so definitely a cotoneaster. There are always black birds sat on it first thing in a morning, munching the berries. My daughter tried them once when I wasn’t looking, but quickly spat them out!

How about plant 2:



and let’s do plant 3:

 

[Toddy]

Top one I know of as Nancy Pretty. It produces straight up spikes of pretty pink or white flowers. They die off and are brittle and can be snapped off to tidy up the plant later in the year.
It's hardy, it's an old fashioned edge of the border type plant. Often used among rockeries too.
It's safe for the kids to handle, it can be easily rooted elsewhere as well. Just pull off a rosette (it'll often come with a long piece at the base) and put the bottom of the rosette/long bit into damp soil. Keep that moist until it settles in with roots, and if there's enough light it'll happily slowly spread out.

M

p.s. found a link with a good photo of it in bloom

Nancy Pretty...a plant of many names.

History and Mystery...and sometimes both at the same time- that's Nancy Jardine's writing.

nancyjardine.blogspot.com