Flower, Plant & Herb Cryptic Quiz – answers

Thank you to everyone who took part in another of my cryptic quizzes.

The theme of this one was to coincide with Thornton Open Gardens in July and added to the fundraising efforts in aid of the maintenance of St Peter’s Church.

This quiz proved to be a ‘bit of a challenge’ with some regular quizzers saying it was harder than my usual cryptic quizzes.

There were just two ‘quizzers’ who got all 50 questions correct .. congratulations to them – neither of them were local, but were visiting from Ilfracombe and Nottingham respectively.

But, there can only be one winner – the two names were put in a hat and Jan Ward from Nottingham was the winner of the £10 prize.

The answers are: –

• 1. First sign of a white Christmas (8) – SNOWDROP
• 2. A wise man (4) – SAGE
• 3. You may see this in the blink of an eye (4) – IRIS
• 4. Is she shrinking? (6) – VIOLET
• 5. Clinging female (3) – IVY
• 6. What did ‘Ben rave’ about? (7) – VERBENA
• 7..She likes ‘keeping up appearances’ – HYACINTH
• 8. You might have this on your hands when you’ve finished gardening (5) – THYME
• 9. You ‘split’ these bulbs to propagate (6) TULIPS
• 10. Prudence (6) – THRIFT
• 11. Jeer at this fruit (4, 6) – MOCK ORANGE
• 12.Nearly top of this football league (7) – CAMPION
• 13. What is our ‘main goal’ about? Answering this clue of course (8) MAGNOLIA
• 14. Chris Hoy & Chris Frome often slightly muddled can be described as this (8) – CYCLAMEN
• 15. Sizzling card game (3, 3, 5) RED HOT POKER
• 16. Did this summon Thomas Beckett to his death? (10, 4) – CANTERBURY BELL
• 17.Picture this legendary Welsh creature (10) – SNAPDRAGON
• 18. A clean sweep with this plant (5) – BROOM
• 19. Female singer/songwriter born in 1979 (4) – PINK
• 20. ‘Stare’ hard to see this flower (5) ASTER
• 21. The Universe (6) – COSMOS
• 22. Is my ding-a-ling depressed? (8) – BLUEBELL
• 23. Watering can attachment (4) – ROSE
• 24. Did she get hitched on a tandem? (5) – DAISY
• 25. Females cloak (5, 6) – LADYS MANTLE
• 26. Rubber gloves? (9) – MARIGOLDS
• 28. Symbol of remembrance (5) – POPPY
• 29. Go faster, better (9) – SPEEDWELL
• 30. Remember (6,2,3) – FORGET ME NOT
• 31.’Vain to the core’ (8) – VERONICA
• 32. All alone in the onion patch (7) – PETUNIA
• 33. US state climber (7) – MONTANA
• 34. Up early to ‘egg on’ this song bird (8) – LARKSPUR
• 35. This ‘proper’ English lady is out late in the day (7, 8) – EVENING PRIMROSE
• 36. At its best between dawn & noon (7, 5) – MORNING GLORY
• 37. Has she been involved in a punch up? (5,4, 5) – BLACK EYED SUSAN
• 38. National flower of Mexico (6) – DAHLIA
• 39. Assume this position to meditate (5) – LOTUS
• 40. Colloquial – great, fantastic, brilliant (4) – MINT
• 41. Head gear of a man of the cloth (9) – MONKSHOOD
• 42. Canine coppice (7) – DOGWOOD
• 43. Sweet food nurtured by bees (11) – HONEYSUCKLE
• 44. There are definitely strings attached to this plant (5) – VIOLA
• 45. Whether they are green or blue, when I am Queen, you will be my King (8) LAVENDER
• 46. Shy and introverted especially at parties (10) – WALLFLOWER
• 47. ‘All is ready for Mary’ (9) – AMARYLLIS
• 48. Our late Queen always had much to do (4, 6) – BUSY LIZZIE
• 49. Beside the lake beneath the trees fluttering and dancing in the breeze (9)   DAFFODILS
• 50. 24 hours and she’s gone! (7) – DAYLILY

This quiz is copyright of Gill Tapping, Thornton village – and may not be reproduced for any purpose without the author’s permission.

If you are a fundraiser for your local charity I have some similar cryptic quizzes to this one, on various topics and am happy for their use in fundraising in exchange for a small donation of £10 which will be given to the Friends of St Peter’s towards the maintenance of the church and grounds.