Giant Echium Flowers!

Self sown echiums blooming now in my garden

Closeup of flower tower

     I have previously written about some self sown echiums which are growing in my front border this year here.  As I mentioned in my last entry, I now think these are a hybrid sometimes called 'Mr. Happy' rather than Echium pininana, as I had previously thought since the flowers on pininana are generally blue or purple, rather than pink.  Also, I don't think I have ever grown a straight Echium pininana and had it flower, whereas I have gown Mr. Happy to flowering before.  However, I could be totally wrong about this. I am no expert on echium identification.  As I mentioned in my previous entry on these echiums, they are seedlings from long ago echiums, so their parentage is not at all certain.
     In any event, as you can see from the pictures these are giant spectacular flowers!