Does anyone know what this is?

Beautiful - that's definitely a mullein. We had one in our last garden, I love the furry leaves.
As for dandelions, the french call them pissenlits too..

A closeup of the flowers

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/201907/medium-615312-a1e7f988-8459-4db2-b0a2-9f7dd188a995.jpeg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/201907/medium-164620-6a34aa42-eed3-4e37-b04d-e19e2df9444b.jpeg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/201907/medium-587354-66b513ef-27de-4c28-91c9-ecd28d0dbcc3.jpeg

In case anyone is still interested, here are some updated pictures of the mystery plant. It’s now taller than me ,5 ft 4 in, and is nicknamed the Triffid.
It’s been interesting watching it grow. We’ve marvelled at how such a tiny , cast off bargain has grown into such a monster.

Me too 'Gonegirl', just goes to show. However it does make sense if it was bought from a garden centre in the beginning as I'm not sure I've ever seen evening primroses for sale. I look forward to future photos Greytin.

Well I never! A verbascum. I would have sworn evening primrose. Well, verbascum is classier than evening primrose. Well done!

Greytin, I have one of those flower solar lights, and a bluebell one.

Thanks again everyone for your advice.
It’s been so interesting reading all your opinions.
I’ve used the plant snap app and it tells me I have a verbascum Hungarian Mullein.
So I guess I’ll just have to watch it grow and see how it develops.
I’ve added another picture so everyone can see how it fits in in relation to my other plants.
Thanks again

My first thought was evening primrose.
Love the idea of dandelions balancing the soul Tamayra?. The bees seem pleased to have them.

I think evening primrose.

I've got the PlantSnap app on my phone. It's really easy to use and you just take a pic while the app is open and it'll tell you what it is. Sadly the other day it told me that a very prolific plant that had appeared in a pot in my garden and which I'd been nurturing was only oil seed rape!

There are a couple of apps that allow you to take a photo of a plant and it will identify it for you - sometimes giving 2 or 3 alternatives. Otherwise, in my humble opinion, it looks a bit weed-like.

Take the pics back to the garden centre you bought it from and they should be able to tell you for sure and give you tips on how to get the best out of it.

I'm sure they would be pleased to know you had rescued it from the compost....maybe!

Yep - Evening Primrose. I took picture outside & it looks just the same as mine. They spread so beware but the bees love them.

Dandelions really help balance out the soul So be really pleased you have them
When the soil is balanced they no longer grow
I read this just today
Posted by a botanical friend on FB

You beat me to it Roseleanor!

There's an app you can get called Plantsnap that claims to identify any plant in the world. Haven't used it yet but worth a try. You just take a photo on your phone

Yes, I think it's growing too upright to be verbascum. Don't the leaves of that stay close to the ground, whilst spikes of flowers grow upwards?

I must get that Rutheleanor. Sounds great!

I agree with others that it's an Evening Primrose. I love these; they are good for bees and other insects which support wildlife. And they can really appear to "glow" in the evening light.

Evening primrose. Will randomly seed all over your garden once it’s flowered!

There is an app I use called Pl@ntnet. It is free. You just show it a leaf or flower and it tells you what it is. Good fun.

I was nelliemoser.

My little grandsons spend a lot of time blowing dandelions fortunately in my daughters garden the other side of the peak district.

"before they go to seed" is the difficult bit with dandelions. One minute there are a few cheery golden suns in between plants, the next there are fluffy clocks sending their seed parachutes to colonise the whole garden. Maybe we should be blanching the young leaves under flowerpots and using them in salads, as our ancestors used to? Then they'd be welcome.

Someone told me the other day that it was not good to remove dandelions

I wish someone had told my DH shysal he is the original dandelion exterminator ! Forever digging little pot holes in the lawn. A wetty bed or two really doesn’t bother me.

A weed???