This ubiquitous wild flower seems to grow with little or no soil.  This large specimen is growing out of an old wall.  Although I think of it by my childhood name of ‘Cherry Pie’, it is actually ‘Red Valerian’ (although surely more pink than red). 

According to the Wildlife Trusts, Red Valerian was introduced into Gardens in the UK from the Mediterranean before the 1600s, and soon became naturalised in the wild, and is a good source of nectar for bees, butterflies and moths.

It may seem like a weed, but is very pretty, and one I would be happy to have in the garden. 

I love the way Cherry Pie (as I continue to think of it) clings on tenaciously, softening the man-made structures on which it grows, and from unpromising beginnings of a small amount of poor soil puts on a splendid display, giving us pleasure all summer long.