Echoes of gardeners past

The ghost of George Russell still walks the York allotments where he bred the wonderful Russell lupins. He emerges as a lupin germinating amongst the weeds (forgive me, present allotment holder!).

An echo of myself has appeared in the garden next door to my old home.

The Cotton Thistle 

Onopordum acanthium The Cotton Thistle - this is a biennial plant. It seeds one year, germinates and grows. The next year it flowers, sets seed and dies. I grew it forty years ago. Is this a long buried seed of my own plant? Or perhaps my neighbour has more recently grown its offspring and it has returned yet again as a great-great grandchild.