Where the Dragons Roam in June....

Ok, this weather is getting rather worrisome with all the rain and cool temperatures during the week and too brief warm respites on weekends ... normally I'm not one to whine (too much!) about rain, but this pattern we've settled into for the past several weeks has me a bit on edge. Long time readers will remember that just a year ago now we had a hitherto unprecedented flood in our basement (on June 12, precisely) and then several weeks of serious flooding in Des Moines, and me being the pathological worrywort I am, I hope we're not in store for any repeats of last year's events....

But on to more exciting things ... it's that time of year again to really and truly believe in Dragons! Well, Dragon Arums at least!

2009 is shaping up to be a banner year for what is arguably the weirdest flower we have at Casa IVG, our prize Dracunculus vulgaris that we have affectionately nicknamed "Mr. Stinky." Every June right about the time the Peonies are at, or just past their peak, he struts proudly to the floral foreground with a grand blast of his distinctive aroma of rotten flesh, brandishing his unmistakably phallic red hooded jet black bloom. Needless to say, he always attracts a lot of attention from innocent passersby, who probably don't know quite what to make of the demented gardeners who have such a decadent monstrosity growing in the middle of their shade garden right out there in plain sight!

Here are a few current views (as of June 7) that start out mundanely enough ... some remaining peonies (we cut most this year and brought them inside to save them from the rains), a pretty little stand of pink Camassia and a maidenhair fern... but if you look closely you can see the mysterious buds forming on that rather non-descript bushy plant near the center....

So let's go in a bit closer to investigate what's going on here ... can you see them? Those spiky, whip-tailed things with a hint of a red stripe? Yes, those are the blooms forming on the plants and this year are going to be a minimum of four blooms for the first time ever! When we we first planted this enormous bulb back in fall of 2005, we weren't even sure it would be reliably hardy to our garden, but by now I think we can confidently proclaim that it is hardy to Zone 5 bordering on 6! Since it first started blooming in 2007 it has only produced one flower per year, but the last couple of years it has been sending up offshoots from the original plant that have leafed out but haven't bloomed. Last year we counted 5 offshoots and when it emerged this spring, we were surprised to see eight! Each offshoot produces a stalk which will leaf out over the summer, but not all of them are likely to bloom for at least a year or so, but given its record so far, even more could be on the way for the next few years.

We have no idea if all four of these will bloom at the same time or on a staggered schedule, so you'll just have to follow along on our journey, but rest assured, there will be plenty of photos while they last! For all the drama and stench involved with blooming, Dragon Arum blooms are relatively short lived and go into a rather interesting period of decline on their way out! You'll see it all chronicled here over the next week or so ... we think these are less than a week from blooming at this point, so I just hope we get some sunnier days to show them off when they finally pop open their stench laden flowers for all the world to see....

Finally, just for fun, here's a newcomer to the garden this year for those curious plant IDers out there ... it's just begun blooming and I'll feature it sometime soon here, but for now, what do you erstwhile gardeners out there think this is? Some previously unseen hellebore? Maybe a Fritillaria? The flowers could resemble either of those guesses, but both would be wrong. If you grow this, you'll know immediately, but I have no idea how popular a plant this really is, but we're thrilled to have it join our garden this year, and may even plant more come fall! Weigh in with your guesses in the comments and I'll reveal its identitity soon!

Hanna sends gallons of puppy kisses to all her admirers out there who left such kind comments yesterday on her #500 post. She loves the attention and is always working on new ways to work the cute angle and will be back soon!

Mystery Flower UPDATE:
We have a spot on winner! Sylvana, The Obsessive Gardener, my compatriot from Wisconsin, was the first to correctly identify this flower as an allium, which we know as Nectaroscordum siculum (aka Allium siciculum) or 'Sicilian Honey Garlic.' It's a really pretty allium that blooms in early June, and though ours didn't quite reach its expected height of 36" this year, it's putting on a nice show, which I hope to feature more of in the next few days.... It's another of Van Bourgondien's "Best Buys from the Bulb Lady," so if you like it, it won't hurt your wallet too much to add some to your garden this fall! Just click on the link above for more information!

Blooming Wednesday Potpourri

What a lovely spring day today: partly cloudy, highs in the low 70's ... and I sure wished I hadn't been cooped up in the house working! But I at least was able to get out for a little while after work (and before dinner time) to make the discovery rounds with Fernymoss. Though we didn't get anything in the ground just yet, we both were able to get some shots of the current show and made a few surprising discoveries in the process.

So let's peek inside the Mother Ship below and get going on the tour....

Alas, the tulips are starting to wind down, and all it's going to take is a hard rain or a really windy day and their precious petals will be sent sailing off in the breeze ... but for the moment, they are still looking pretty stunning nonetheless. Fernymoss was having a lot of fun shooting these types of shots of blooms that were lowering the front door of the Mother Ship to reveal the mysterious forms within. This particular bloom is one of our Darwins that have made somewhat of a comeback this year. Even though we lost over 100 of these in that awful late extended freeze in 2007, we're still convinced that these hybrids are the best tulips who truly qualify as perennials. With their 18" stems (no kidding!) and brilliant colors, the Darwins are by far your best value in tulips if you want them to stick around for a good long time.....

Here's a quick shot I took of the overall "ensemble" going on in the Primrose bed by the front steps ... I plan on doing an entire post on these beauties soon, but I need to be able to take the time to get close ups, but for now, I wanted to give a sense of just how this grouping works together. The Blue (and red) one you see at the lower left is the pot I got last weekend and planted on Sunday, and so far they look quite happy in their new home. To the right, just by the yellow ones is the plant I got for Valentine's day. It had to spend a little too long in the house on the windowsill, but now that it's in the ground near its cousins, I'm hopeful that it will stake out its place and join the party ... it's a crap shoot as to whether this will be perennial or not (quite often the primroses sold as potted plants aren't), but at least it has a fighting chance. It will get pampered throughout the season, as will all of these, my much prized Primulas.

And here's the newest member of our Hellebore family, Ivory Prince, that we just got last weekend. Though this is not his permanent home, I just wanted to get a shot of him to show off because he's currently got a lot of blooms going on. Talk about instant gratification ... though we have been patiently nursing some very small plants we got in 2005 over the past four years (and they are blooming now ... more on them later), we both feel that $22 was more than a fair price for this plant, given what most nurseries charge for much smaller plants (usually in the $8-9 range). Plus, we already know what the blooms will look like! Gail commented the other day that she has this variety and she really likes it, so we have confirmation from a good source that this was indeed a wise buy. We're excited to see how this new addition will make his home in the Woodland Garden....

An update on what I posted as a "mystery plant" last week ... long term readers here immediately knew what this was, so I might as well lift the veil of "secrecy" and reveal that this is indeed Dracunculs vulgaris, aka: Dragon Arum, and affectionately known as "Mr. Stinky" around Casa IVG. This was an enormous bulb we originally planted in 2005, and in 2006 it came up, leafed out but didn't bloom ... but then in 2007, it rewarded us with its first bloom. (If you'd like to see the evolving history of this plant, click on the "Dracunculus vulgaris" label below the post to see all previous entries. Then you'll see what this will become in another month or so.) Last year it bloomed again, but also put up five little offshoots at its base, so we're hoping for multiple blooms this year ... but today Fernymoss discovered that this year we have eight offshoots coming up and leafing out right now. Wow, just wow! When we planted this, we weren't even sure it would be reliably hardy here, but it sure seems to be happy where we have it planted in the Woodland Garden not far from the peonies. It's ironic that we chose to plant the stinkiest plant in our garden so close to the flowers with the best fragrance ... we'll just call it a happy coincidence.

For those of you who need your daily puppy pic fix, here's Hanna this afternoon, working her Kong for all it's worth. During the day when I'm working, she hangs out with me in my office either snoozing on the futon couch or looking out the window at the world, and is very patient with my schedule. Of course I give her regular attention and loving, but she really seems to realize that I'm working and behaves herself quite well. But when early afternoon comes, she needs to head out for a potty break, and when we return she expects her Kong! So I usually stuff it with a bit of peanut butter and a few small treats to keep her busy for a while ... Here she's trying to extract that last little bit of peanut butter from the Kong, after getting the crunchy treats out first. She has a really cool way of using her front paws literally as hands to grip the Kong, and that was what I was trying to capture, but once the camera is fired up, she gets "shy" about showing off what she can do. At least this shot shows a little bit of what she can do to grip things with her front paws ... what a constantly amazing little girl she has turned out to be! We think she's going to grow up to be "scary smart" due to her already huge vocabulary of words she recognizes! She definitely has mastered every corner of the house so far and knows where everything is (especially the food and treats), so she clearly has established the reign of Princess Hanna, whether we like it or not! And we're thrilled, of course.....

Lording of the Flies...

Flies are not among the usual insects we like to photograph. But when you've got something blooming five feet tall and smelling of rotten meat, you just have to make an exception and let the flies indulge themselves, if only to chronicle the bloom cycle of the Dragon Arum. Whatever they get out of helping aid pollination is all theirs, as far as I'm concerned ...

Today the flies were still around, but much less numerous than yesterday, and the stench has lessened considerably and now you have to leave the sidewalk and get up close to really notice it much. What was wafting through the breeze last night was enough to prove a point!

Something I've neglected to tell you in previous posts is that the Dragon Arum has a very short bloom period of only 3-4 days before decrepitude sets in. It's actually kind of comical to watch this flower wane (don't worry, I'll keep posting a few more), as it withers away.

Such a huge expenditure of time and effort on the plant's part for such a limited bloom is one of those plant mysteries that probably hooked me on gardening (well that and my dad). And it is a lot of fun to be one of (or the only?) few who has one of these blooming in their garden.

Mr. Stinky's Big Day!

Well, the event we've been eagerly anticipating for weeks finally happened today! Mr. Stinky finally decided to flash the neighborhood by exposing his shiny jet black spadix, all the while emitting his own peculiar, rather revolting, aroma.

This evening, when Fernymoss took these shots, there were literally clouds of flies, all competing to get as close to and on (or even in) the odoriferous spathe. They're attracted, of course, by the foul stench Mr. Stinky shares so generously with everyone ... it's an odor I've seen described as smells like a sewer, roadkill or dead animals, but to me smells more of rotten meat. I don't know what it smells like to flies (not actually having asked one) but it must be just magical for them, given the swarms flying around the bloom.

Dracunculus vulgaris belongs to the same family as the larger arums, such as the notorious "Corpse Plant" or Titan Arum, which you may have seen in various places devoted to bizarre plants. The link above will take you to the UW-Madison's (yay, I went to grad school there.) amazing specimen.

Anyway, Mr. Stinky can't rival the famed Titan Arum in size by any means, but with our specimen having grown to about five feet this year (with a 25 inch bloom), we're just thrilled we can actually grow such an unusual plant in our zone! I think I mentioned in a previous post that my sister found some ridiculously cheap Voodoo Lily bulbs and generously shared one with us ... we have yet to get it into the ground (we've been afraid it might rot with the weather lately), but if it dries out just a bit this weekend, I think we'll put it in, because if we don't soon, I fear it may begin its growth cycle prematurely. We're not sure if we'll get leaves during the summer, but I'm pretty sure it won't bloom this year ... if we're lucky, it will join its cousin late next spring in perfuming (I use that term very loosely here) the Woodland garden. One more observation about our Dracunculus ... we were surprised (oh, so pleasantly) when it came up strongly this year ... followed in relatively short order, five more offshoots! If you look closely at the first shot (click to enlarge for all of these!) you can probably distinguish them around the base of Mr. Stinky. I'm sure they'll just put up leaves this year, but who knows about next year!?

The first shot gives a contextual impression for how it's situated, and how it totally dominates the scene ... if you look closely, you'll also see the following plants: Ligularia dentata 'Desdemona,' one of our five Hellebores, the hollies of course, the now waning Bleeding Hearts, some of the Ostrich Plume ferns, and a Sea Holly preparing to bloom. And, of course, the multitude of wood violets we still have to thin out to make room for more plants such as our new Pulmonarias and another Ligularia dentata we got this spring.

The second shot gives a closer view of the entire flower (somehow sans flies), displaying the incredible textures and rich colors of the spathe ... and if you're fascinated by bloom textures like we are, this offers a multitude of interesting views during various phases of its bloom period. You can also probably (easily) spot some more neighbors ... a Leatherwood fern, a couple of Maidenhairs and the remnants of this year's peonies.

Finally, the third shot is a study of the base of the bloom, showing the swollen ahem, ovary of the plant ... should it be successfully pollinated, we might just get one of its strange seed pods later in the summer, though last year we didn't. Time will tell ... I especially like the great up close and personal view of part of the spathe ... look closer ... you can see a small fly lurking as well.

A couple of weeks ago I finally acknowledged a great irony relating to Dracunculus: the stinkiest of all our plants generally blooms during the same time our most pleasantly fragrant flowers (peonies) are blooming. Honestly, we never intended that ... but I think it's pretty cool nonetheless!

So ... Mr. Stinky has now started to strut his stuff on the main stage for a few days, commanding anyone short of blind's attention ... at Casa IVG, this still constitutes a momentous day in the garden!

The Countdown Continues

Tonight's update will be somewhat abbreviated, due to the current weather situation I detailed in the previous post ....

Well, Mr. Stinky held out on us today and hasn't opened yet. I'm really wondering if it's due to the practically daily rainstorms and general lack of sun (though we did get a few hours out of the clouds late this afternoon). Just as well, since more heavy rain is coming through tonight, and we'd hate to see his spectacular bloom ruined just yet. Maybe tomorrow, once the rain passes ....

As you can see in these two shots I got after work tonight, he's looking more engorged by the day and won't be able to hold back much longer ... I think he just needs a day with a lot of sun to expose himself fully. In the first, take a look at how the base of the plant bulges more with each passing day ... And in the second, take a moment to focus on the sensual folds and textures of the flower as it prepares for its appearance in the garden spotlight ... Soon ...

Dragon Arum Apparent ...

Well folks, the Dragon Arum is so close to revealing its sinister wonders that we can almost smell it already! And the flies are dispatching aerial squadrons at this moment to our Woodland Garden ... When I looked early this morning it was definitely showing signs of unfurling imminently, and once I was done with work and went out to look again, we both could tell there had been movement at the base of the bloom over the course of the day. Our prediction is that (like last year) it will open overnight and already be shocking the neighborhood in the early morning hours....

If you are a regular reader here, you already know that Fernymoss and I have a strong penchant for the flashy, odd and downright bizarre plants, and our Dragon Arum is currently the reigning king of the garden. When we first saw this (and other Arums) in a catalogue, we knew that we just had to have at least one ... our only fear was that it wouldn't be hardy to our zone (officially 5a, but tending strongly to 6 these days).

Though listed at Van Bourgondien as zone 6 and higher, we decided that we could at least come close to providing that, with some protection from the house and a fall mulching. So we planted it in fall 2005 and hoped for the best ... in Spring 2006 we got a good sized spike and lots of foliage, but no bloom yet. Late last May, just as the peonies were in full bloom (as they are again this year), IT finally emerged! Though it only lasted 3 or 4 days, it sure attracted slow drives by our house, and the pedestrians who use our Woodland walkway often stopped to stare in wonder. Yes, it's that dramatic. As far as we know, we're the only ones with one of these bizarre beauties in the neighborhood, though in a city as large as Des Moines, I wouldn't be surprised to learn that some other connoisseur of the bizarre has planted one of these arums. But then, maybe for once, we're ahead of the curve! With regard to cultivation, Dracunculus vulgaris seems to prefer a mostly sunny, part shade exposure, which is exactly what it gets in our Woodland beds ... Eastern morning sun, part shade during the afternoon, followed by late afternoon Western sun ... and it seems perfectly happy with such a situation. Given that this year, six more spikes came up this spring, I think we can safely say that it's quite happy in its current position, and we have no intentions of changing that! We had thought earlier that we might get more than one bloom this year, but at this point we think the new ones will merely be putting up leaves this year. So be it, if that is the way it goes, but we're betting we'll have more next year! But in any case, we're eagerly awaiting seeing it in the morning, and since I'll be working, (and Fernymoss works late today), so I should have updated photos to post tomorrow night, so come back and take a look!

Notes on these shots: The first displays the telltale 'red stripe' that serves as a prelude to the full bloom. The second shows just how long the entire bloom is ... some 25 inches! And the third gives a perspective of how big the entire plant is .. we're estimating it to be about 5 feet tall at this point! Supposedly they can go as far as 6 feet, so who knows what next year will be like? Photos by Fernymoss, taken on 10 June, 2008, with our new best friend, the Fuji S700!

Dragon Arum Update ... it's Close!

I know it's been a while since I updated on the progress of the Dragon Arum (Dracunculus vulgaris). A lot has been due to the weather being so rainy, which continues tonight (see previous weather post), but that hasn't slowed down Mr. Stinky one bit! Fernymoss got these shots tonight before the storms moved in, and it's getting very close to blooming within a few days. (Click one of the labels below for last year's posts on this plant.) As of today, the bloom spike is over 2 ft long, and the plant itself is about 4.5 ft at this point.

In the first shot you can see a wider view of its area in the Woodland Garden ... pay close attention to the base of the plant and you can see most of the 6 new offshoots that appeared this year. We doubt that they'll do much other than produce leaves this year, but next year ... who knows? As you can see, the peonies are nicely synchronized with the Dragon Arum again this year. We wish we had gone ahead and cut these tonight, because after these rains we're currently experiencing, they'll likely be on the ground tomorrow ...

The second shot shows a lot more detail of the leaves and rapidly emerging bloom ... you can also get a better idea of its growing context ... to the upper left you can see one of our Toad Lilies, the Jack in the Pulpit, the Trilliums, a Leatherwood and Maidenhair Fern, and of course the Peonies who are just starting their annual show. Come back for further updates in future days ...

Dragon Arum Countdown

Since Fernymoss was out and about with the camera the other day, I thought I'd post another update on the Dragon Arum before it gets much bigger! He took this shot on Tuesday 6 May as the leaves were starting to unfurl in earnest, and wow it's moving fast to put on size this year! All four of the new shoots are leafing out (even the smallest one, which is rather hard to see in this shot), and at the rate it has been growing, it might well bloom about the same time this year (with any luck).

Tradition has it that Peonies should bloom on Memorial Day Weekend and last year they were right on time ... along with the Dragon Arum! What an odd combo to have in bloom, near each other at the same time ... the wonderful fragrance of Peonies, and the well, not so pretty stench of the Dragon Arum. Come to think of it though, aside from the first couple of days, we didn't really notice the smell too much ... or maybe the Peonies just overcompensated and overpowered it! In any case, I'll keep popping the occasional update here in anticipation of the big day ... so if you're interested, do come back!

Here's something fun (I hope) you can do with this photo ... there are four clearly visible other plants (not counting the sickly tulips in the foreground) in the proximity of the Arum, toward the back. See if you can identify some of them and let me know what you find!

A short note on posting this week ... I'm currently finishing up a big project for work, and may miss a day or so, but I've got lots more saved up to post when I have a little more time again. I've got a few drafts saved, so depending on how tired I am the next few days, I may still end up making some quick posts.

Dragon Arum Update!

Here's a quick update on the progress of the Dragon Arum I posted here recently ... We were initially mistaken when I announced that there were three spears coming up this year, and as we discovered last week, there are now four! We doubt that all four will produce blooms, but we're hopeful that at least the two biggest ones will bloom this year. It's hard to tell at this point, but we're definitely encouraged that it does seem to be spreading a bit!

If things go like they did last year (the disastrous one), this should be blooming right around the time the Peonies are ... creating an odd confluence of stench from one (the Arum) and sweetness from the other (the Peonies) ... As all other indications from 2008 have been so far, who knows what we can expect this year!

One thing's for sure, the Arum in our garden is a floral super delegate for Obama! As much as we miss John Edwards ... AT LEAST, we can throw our support and votes to Ed Fallon, to defeat the tired, old, and fat Bluedog Democrat Leonard Boswell here in my district. If you're in the district, vote for Ed in the primary on June 3!! It's time for a sea change in Washington, and we can act to help bring this about and start cleaning house of the Bush enablers and get on to the task of building a more progressive majority!

IT Has Emerged!

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for ... the emergence of the fabled Dragon Arum who first bloomed last year, its second, in the Woodland Garden. Those of you who are regular readers probably recall this post from late last May when it unveiled itself in its full smelly glory to the world, much to the delight of flies from all over the neighborhood. (But if, by chance, you're not already acquainted with this florally bizarre member of the Arum family, I encourage you to use the tag links and check out just what this will eventually become.)

Astute observers (or merely awake ones) will note, that unlike last year when we posted its emergence, that there are now three spears piercing the ground where it's planted. This development has us really excited at the possibility of at least two, if not three blooms this year! The more, the stinkier, we say. And we are definitely planning on putting in at least 2-3 more of these bulbs in the fall, along with some other types of Arums that we have lusted after for a few years now (most notably Arum italicum). The Araceae are a fascinating family of plants, which among their relatives include the common Philodendron, Monstera Deliciosa ('Swiss Cheese Plant'), the various Jacks in the Pulpit, Anthuriums, the incredible Titan Arum, Calla Lilies and even the lowly aquatic duckweed, which I used to grow in my aquariums when I was a kid. I have to say that Wikipedia link is a great source of intriguing information about Arums, with links to some great pictures of the various species. I had never dreamed that one of the most common, easiest of houseplants, the Philodendrons and Nepthytis belonged to this extremely varied and often bizarre plant family!

Ain't Wikipedia grand?

Further Decadent Decrepitude

Well here's the view for today folks, and as you can see, it ain't pretty! Of course, that does depend on one's aesthetic sense, but I can easily see this view delighting one of my all time favorite characters in French literature, Des Esseintes ... the infamous "hero" of Joris-Karl Huysmans' bible of Decadence, Against Nature. Without revealing too much of the book (see the Wikipedia link for more), suffice to say that being the ultimate decadent aesthete he is, Des Esseintes devotes a period of his explorations to collecting bizarre and artificial looking plants, and though I'd have to go back and check to make sure, it wouldn't surprise me in the least if Dracunculus vulgaris figures among the items in the catalogue he creates to document his "research."

Somehow the shot I got tonight reminds me vaguely of a rather withered cobra who's lost most of his sass. Or it could be the back end of some creature ... or any number of things not so pleasant to contemplate. What do you see? Let me know in the comments if the thought so moves you.

Photo taken June 4, 2007.

UPDATED:
I did a little more research out of curiosity as to whether the Arum was referenced in Against Nature and found that the entire text of the novel is available online (links to English and French below). Though Huysmans doesn't cite Dracunculus specifically, he does reference the Arum family (and I wonder if Dracunculus was even in common cultivation back in 1884, but that's a dissertation topic I'm not going to pursue at this moment). The relevant paragraphs are quoted below, though if you're curious enough to read the entire chapter on bizarre plants, make sure to jump to Chapter VIII in the online text. Huysmans' stylistic renderings probably aren't for everyone, but if you've ever been curious about what "Decadent" literature was all about, you owe it to yourself to read at least a few chapters of this truly seminal late 19th Century French novel.

It was the Anthurium, one of the arum family, recently imported from Colombia; it formed part of a section of the same family to which also belonged an Amorphophallus, a plant from Cochin China, with long black stalks seamed with scars, like a negro's limbs after a thrashing.

Des Esseintes' cup of joy was brimming over.

Link to the English translation (from 1928, and not the best I've read, but it does give the flavor of the original fairly well.

Link to the original French text ... if you can read the French, it's a deliciously wonderful wallow in syntax gone beserk. A real delight.

PS to Manny. If you read all the way through the chapter, the linkage with venereal disease is made surrealistically (and hilariously, I might add) explicit. After all, it all comes down to syphilis... Or so Des Esseintes said!

Intrepid Fly

Just a bit of reminiscing of the glory days (all 4 of em!) of the Dragon arum bloom. This shot was taken the first day, when the flies were swarming it and going all gaga over its delectable aroma. As you've seen in the previous post, it doesn't quite look this way today, but I really liked the perspective Fernymoss got here on the whole "runway" aspect of the bloom (and yes, it was cropped to make it look this way). To my biased eye, it looks a lot like a Dalí landscape with a solitary figure (and there are many of those) or perhaps some isolated frame from an early Buñuel film... but that's just the innate surrealist in me, and for others, it may evoke very little ... though the other thing that occurred to me was some cryptic shot from The Twilight Zone where a lonely figure gets caught between light and dark. Either way, this fly looks on to his destination with a bit of trepidation I think ... hard to say if he made it all the way, but we sure hope so.

We want to see that weird seed pod/cob that it is prone to producing ... when/if it happens, you'll see it first here!

Photo courtesy of Fernymoss, edited by IVG, taken May 30, 2007.

The Party's Over ....

Yesterday I was a bit dismayed to go out and see that the Dragon Arum had begun to look a little droopy, as the "petal" was sagging down a bit ... I thought at first perhaps the heavy rains in the morning had caused it to bend down a bit. But upon closer inspection, I began to think that the bloom just isn't very long-lived ... a suspicion that was definitively confirmed when I looked out this morning.

Indeed, the party's over for this part of the cycle! You need see nothing more than the pictures I'm posting here tonight ... yep, this bloom is done spent. Flaccid, indeed. Laughably obscene I'd even say! But it still remains fascinating, even if we are a bit disappointed that it barely lasted a mere five days after all the dramatic build up since it emerged earlier this spring. So now that everything has done its seductive show and partied till it dropped, the real work of the plant is just beginning. We can already see that the base of the bloom, which obviously contains the ovaries, is swelling more, clearly preparing the next phase of its yearly cycle ... the equally bizarre seed pod.

What's also remarkable about the number of changes this flower has gone through since the beginning of the week, is that the colours have evolved on an almost daily basis... from starting a deep red, then to maroon, purple and now a muddy mixture of all of them ... I suppose one could analogize that the bloom has gone from its party best dress, on to some bacchanalian excesses and now complete and utter exhaustion has set in.

I hate to keep bringing up the blatant sexuality of this flower, but honestly ... what else comes to mind when you see what was once a boldly erect spadix wind up looking like this a mere two days after it was in its crowning glory? We just hope that all those flies who just days ago were flocking to it have done their work for the season and that the plant will be able to successfully complete its reproductive cycle for the year. And you can be sure that if we are able to harvest any viable seeds, they won't be long to find a home near the parent in the garden!

Photos Courtesy of Fernymoass, taken June 2, 2007

The Shadowy Runway

Two close up views of the thanatogenous runway for unsuspecting pollinators. I'd hope that you'll agree that the suggestive potential (huh, there's a suggestion here?) of this flower seems virtually unlimited. We can't wait to do more macro exploring of the plant in the following days, since this bloom should be around for at least a couple of weeks .... we'll keep tracking his progress!

Photos courtesy of Fernymoss, taken May 30, 2007

Mystery Plant Exposes Himself!

It happened one night ... sometime last night, to be precise ... but it happened! The long wait (since planting in fall 2005) is now over and the obscenely spectacular Dragon Arum (Dracunculus vulgaris) finally burst into bloom. Imagine going into your dining room early one morning before work and opening the blinds facing on your woodland garden to see this pointing back at you!

Such a bloom is definitely something you don't see every day! And neither is this plant, which is of course what prompted us, connoisseurs of the florally bizarre, to seek out a bulb and try it out in our garden. When we first saw a photo for this arum in a catalogue we were positively enthralled and intrigued by its in your face blatant sexuality and were thrilled to see that it was actually hardy to our zone! And now that we've successfully brought one into bloom, we are going to be ordering several more to plant this fall ... alternately known as Voodoo Lily or Dragon Lily, no matter what you choose to call it, it's one attention catching plant when it blooms!

All flowers, of course, have their intimate sexual sides to them, but it's something most of us rarely pay attention to unless you're as eager as we are to cultivate the odd and unusual (or you're an inner bits fan and flower de-pantser like Olivia). To call this specimen an exhibitionist would be a bit of an understatement. There's no mistaking what's going on with this bloom, and the more you examine it, the more it thrusts its eerie sexuality right in your face, where, I must add, it emits quite a stench. This plant manages simultaneously to embody both eros and thanatos all in one big display held high on a sturdy trunk that is now about 3 1/2 feet tall. Its clearly phallic spadix and lurid colour easily evoke eros, but the thanatos side is a bit more subtle ... that is, until you get up close and you're immediately assailed by the fragrance of what can only be compared to something dead, or at least rotten meat. And with the wonderful logic of so many flowers who have adapted themselves to schemes both ingenious and bizarre, there is a reason for its odoriferous nature. It's pollinated by carrion flies who flock to the flower, attracted by the promise of death and decay, only to be lured into pollinating this very clever flower. If you look closely at the first photo, you'll see several lurking around, eagerly exploring this exotic garden destination.

Fortunately Fernymoss had the day off today, so he was busy (in between rain showers) outside capturing as many angles and details of the flower as he could get. I'll be posting some more views and close ups over the next few days to illustrate just how intriguing this flower can be. I do have to say that from its first emergence as an oddly patterned spike (see previous posts labeled Mystery Plant for details) to its current state, every aspect of this plant has an attractive feature to recommend it to those courageous iconoclasts who would find a space for it in their gardens! I'll be featuring this again periodically to chronicle its progression through its annual cycle, since apparently when it is done blooming it will then put on an equally odd and suggestive seed pod that we hope will provide us with some viable seeds come fall. More to come ....but if you're interested in seeing more photos of Dracunculus vulgaris, go to this entry from Davesgarden.com.

Photos courtesy of Fernymoss, taken May 30, 2007.

Mystery Plant Update, May 26, 2007

Things are definitely starting to happen out there with this guy ... after more rain off and on today, and the rains from the other night, our mystery subject is really starting to get serious about blooming. As you can see in the first photo, the maroony-reddish stripe is enlarging and taking on more colour ... my theory is that this will be roughly the colour of the interior base of the petals.

The insects seem to be getting more interested as well, considering we saw both flies and a wasp circling around late today. I thought I caught a wee waft of something rather foul smelling, but Fernymoss can't detect it ... just an olfactory expression of impatience perhaps? In any case, here's the update for today ... I'll keep these coming as long as something significant happens until it's open even more.

Lots more is going on in the Woodland Garden right now, and there will be much more appearing here in the next few days (including luscious peonies!) so stop by again soon ....

Mystery Plant Update, May 25, 2007

Well folks, it's been a few days since I've provided an update on this plant, and after a good soaking rain the other night, the bud has definitely grown more, plumped up and given sure signs that it is preparing its spectacular show! Fernymoss had the day off today and wanted to try getting some shots in different light than we usually get (morning versus late afternoon) and he did a dandy job of capturing some more interesting details ... the most exciting of which is that flies are now coming around to explore. Now, most people would probably not want flies flocking to their flowers, but for this particular one, they are apparently an essential companion to assure pollination. Though we can't detect any odors coming from it yet, the flies seem to know what they're after and appear to be eager to do their part once the bloom finally opens.

At this point, the bud is now over a foot long and has become more "lewd" looking every day (thanks to Olivia for that adjective!). The "stripe" along the edge of the bud is taking on more colour each day, hinting at what it will be revealing in the coming days .... Stay tuned here for more, and when it unfurls fully, you'll be in for a fascinating view of a flower not commonly seen in city gardens ... nor smelled, if all of our resources are correct. It's already causing passersby to stop and wonder what it is ... and we can't wait to hear the What's that smell?! comments it will most likely elicit when it is in full bloom ...!

Photos courtesy of Fernymoss

Mystery Plant Update, May 22

This is going to have to be a quick one tonight, with just the most recent down and dirty shots of our friend starting to unfurl its bloom ... this is definitely a bit of change since the last picture I posted, though we're still wondering just how long the process is going to take before it's fully opened.

Notes on the photos:
The first one is a close up detail of the edge of the bud, where you can see the outer layer just starting to peel back ever so slightly ... From looking at photos of the fully open bloom on other sites, I've realized that this will be part of the base when all is said and done. So, unless it starts speeding up soon, this may still take a while.

The second shot is a detail of the base of the flower being hidden by the outer layers ... I've noticed a slight bit of swelling of this part the past couple of days, which makes sense, as this will eventually become the seed pod when it has progressed through more of the bloom cycle.

I really like the degree of texture in this one ... not only can you see the mottled "trunk" of the plant, but you can clearly make out the pale "stripes" at the base of the bud. Without knowing what this plant is, I would really be baffled as to what it could be. But even knowing what's still to come, I have to admit that this is the item in the garden this year that we're anticipating most eagerly, and we're scrutinizing each step of the way!

And finally we have a full view of the entire plant to add some contextual perspective to all these shots ... if you've been following the previous posts, I'm sure you'll notice that the bud itself has begun to lose its totally vertical position and is dropping down slightly, which again makes sense when you know what you're looking for, so again, we're sure it will be coming soon, but how soon is anyone's guess! So, stop by again ... I'll update more frequently as we notice significant changes taking place. We're supposed to be in for a rainy spell the next few days, so I'm wondering if the rain will help to speed things along a bit ... we'll see soon enough!

Mystery Plant Update, May 18

As promised in my last post, here's an update on our Mystery Plant for today. I took these photos after work this afternoon, and honestly, I can't really see that anything dramatic happened overnight. I thought I'd just try to get a good close up of the actual bud, to give you a better idea of what it looks like now in order to contrast it with what it develops into later. There's no real color developing in it yet, but I expect that it will change soon as it gets ready to unfurl into bloom. I'm not quite sure exactly what to expect at this point, but we'll find out!

Though these shots may not reveal anything startling yet, you can get a pretty good view of some of the woodland garden in the background, where you can see the holly bushes, some ferns, Coral Bells and other plants ... those little splashes of blue are the Alpine Blue Columbines who are still happily blooming away. You can also see a lot of daffodil foliage still hanging in there after their frustrated attempt to bloom this year. I'm going to leave it for now so it can help recharge them for next year's show, which I hope will happen ... unlike this year's fiasco. There's also a fair amount of weeding and clean up that still needs to be done in this area, and I hope that soon, with another update, things will be looking a bit less savage than it does right now ....

Something's Coming ...!

Here it is ... at long last ... the anxiously awaited appearance of the bud on the previously posted Mystery Plant! I'm going to hold off on identifying it until it opens completely, but for those of you who may have been following the development of this plant, I've dropped more than a few hints that should help if you just can't wait to find out.

Something's coming soon, as you can see arising in the center of the leaves at the top of the central stalk. It's going to be one of the oddest flowers you'll see here, and we've been waiting patiently for over a year now to see it finally appear ...

It's a bulb we planted in the fall of 2005, and though it did come up and put out a good number of leaves last spring, we were disappointed to see it didn't bloom its first year. But this year, it came roaring back (it was fortunate enough to wait until after the cold spell to emerge) and has been growing phenomenally fast since late April.

And now the moment of anticipation is upon us ... we know it's going to bloom and it's a waiting game from here on out, but given this bud hadn't even emerged two days ago and now it's here and huge, we don't think it's going to take much longer! So, I plan on trying to post a daily update from here on out, so I can chronicle its dramatic entrance on the stage here in the garden. I hope you'll follow its progress with us from now until then ...

I know the title of this post is a bit obscure, and if you click the link above, you'll find the Wikipedia entry on its origin. If you'd like to listen to a clip of the song that inspired the title, just click on the following link, which is the title of the song ... Devotion?