Hannibal's Trunk Trivia Quiz

Answer: Gladiolus

Gladioli are grown from things that look like bulbs but are called corms. In mild areas you can leave them in the ground over winter and they come up each year. They can be quite tall so need supporting so that the wind doesn't damage them. Dame Edna Everage has become known for throwing them to her audiences from the stage.

Answer: Honeysuckle

There are several species of honeysuckle. All of them though have a lovely perfume, which is often more pronounced in the early evening. Bees love them as they are full of pollen and nectar for them to collect, and make honey. When the flowers drop the plant then forms berries which birds come and eat. These berries contain the seeds that the birds then distribute.

Answer: Plum

These are plums. Plums are grown all over the world and there are a lot of different varieties. This particular one is a Victoria plum, which is native to England. All plums have a stone in the middle of them, which is actually the seed. If you plant it a new tree will eventually grow from it.

Although they are delicious to eat, eating too many plums at once will give you an upset stomach.

Answer: Daffodils

Not all daffodils are yellow. Some are white, there is even a pale pink variety. However, say daffodil and most people will think of yellow. They look best when you see a big clump of them, all in bloom together. Most people think that spring has truly arrived when they see the first daffodils of the season come into flower.

Answer: Violets

Violets are an early spring flower. They grow close to the ground in big clumps, and spread all over the place from seed. The flowers are tiny, but there are so many of them that a clump of them can be easily seen nestling in the grass or in the middle of a hedgerow.

Answer: Snowdrop

As their name suggests, snowdrops will push up through snow and ice to flower. They can be seen as early as mid January, although their main flowering time is normally February. They grow from small bulbs and if left alone will multiply happily. To come across a clump of snowdrops flowering on a cold winter day is something to be celebrated.

Answer: Beans

These are two types of bean. Broad beans on the left, french beans on the right. They are two of the three most common types grown in gardens in England, the other being runner beans. All are quite easy to grow from seed and taste lovely when picked, cooked, and served the same day. Fresh vegetables, as well as being very good for you, seem to taste nicer when they come from your own plants.

Answer: Fungi

Fungi is the name for all mushrooms and toadstools. Many types can be found growing in the grass and in damp areas in the garden, especially in the autumn. A lot of them are very poisonous and should never be eaten. Even if you find something that looks exactly like a mushroom you get from the shops you still should not eat it.

Answer: Rose

Roses come in lots of colours; some are even two coloured. They are a very old flower, their history goes back hundreds of years. A lot of them, especially the older types, have a lovely scent. Taking off the dead blooms encourages them to flower again, and most will flower from late May/early June until early winter.

They are a good flower to cut and bring indoors in vases, but you do have to be careful of the thorns that most of them have in abundance.

Answer: Tomatoes

Tomatoes are very easy to grow at home. They come in various sizes, and though most are red there are some yellow varieties, and even a striped one. They can be used in salads, chopped in pasta sauces, to top dishes like shepherds or cottage pie, or in sandwiches. If you have too many of them in the garden one year they can even be frozen for use later.

Although frozen ones are no good for salads, they go too mushy, they are good for cooking with.