!st is a lupine. 2nd is a rush.

Thank you so much! The seed packet had mostly wild flowers and produced a pretty presentation on our fire escape, but nothing really outstanding appeared. These are the best, even though they didn't appear last year. I never would have figured out the green plant was a rush. We do enjoy the flowers and I hope we can cultivate it. In a planter. On a fire escape.

Nice looking fire escape. The lupine should set seeds for you.
Renee

Ordinary Chives would grow in your container and produce really attractive long lasting flowers. Of course you will have to stop eating it, or you won't get flowers! Al

We have two planters which will have chives and arugula. Never thought about just letting the chives flower.. That's an intriguing idea.

We are collecting the seeds packets off the lupine. Seems like most of the people we know would also like to grow some.

If you grow Arugula--I started growing one plant in the yard and it spreads like wildfire. Good news is that wherever it blooms, fruit trees produce like crazy, because tiny yellow arugula blossoms attract bees. We even have blueberries producing now and I am in coastal Southern California.
Do the lupines need cold weather? I agree with Jean, I think the plant that spikes up is a rush. We more commonly see curly rush.

Thanks, Marge. Our argula is spreading like wildfire, even more so in their planters than they did when we had a community garden plot. Even better, people aren't stealing it. (One of many reasons why we no longer have a community plot.) Because we have tomato plants (no fruit.. er no other fruit, unfortunately), I put out a Philadelphus and a Dascia so we'd have bees for the tomatoes. The community garden is half a block away and one fellow there keeps bees. Can even see them come over our rooftop from that direction

The rush has grown and seems to like where it is. I know it doesn't look especially attractive but I've never seen one flower and I really like the way it looks anyway.

The lupine is a monster. Had no idea they grew so big. Not sure about the cold weather part. We are in San Francisco in SOMA and we get tons of wind on our 3rd floor. I think the surrounding buildings create a wind tunnel. It can be pretty stiff especially towards sunset. Our weather has been cool this spring so I guess we'll see when it warms up.. if it ever does. I suspect the lupine will have peaked well before then as it is no longer sending out shoots and has already put forth its blossoms.