something odd at the bottom of the garden.

Posted on 29 Apr, 2009 8 comments

I had decided to make the most of the evening sun and take some more photos of plants growing in my garden. So on my hand and knees I am trying to take photos of Mitella when a smell, the most disgusting smell i have smelt in a long time, wafted around.

The cause, a British native Lords and Ladies or Arum macculatum.
The smell comes from the brown spadix, to intice insects in to pollinate the flowers. The cowl or spathe is a gorgeous lime green and this one has a plum coloured edge. I also like the fern uncurling and this has been hiding the Arum.

I also noticed the Mitella is starting to flower, I am sure it was a month later, last year.

And joy of joys an Iris germanica ‘black’ that I had forgotten I had heeled in until I could put it in a permanent home.

Then the gooseberries, fresh new babies yippee. But horror of horrors sawflies.
They have been picked off and fed to the fish. I will be patrolling every day from now on.

Comments

Reebeesfleurs

I have lords and ladies and never realised they smelled bad. I've got to go and smell them now! they are at the bottom of the garden though so maybe that's a good thing. Good luck with the gooseberries, they look so healthy but now I know what a sawfly looks like too, so thanks for posting a pic. I've read about these nasties :-)

29 Apr, 2009

Seaburngirl

I've never seen the adults just the 'caterpillars'. they range in size from 2mm to 10mm. very similar in markings to cabbage white caterpillars. leaves just end up as stalks :o(

29 Apr, 2009

Davewebber

i like that arum pic and the plant in general

29 Apr, 2009

Craftnutter

Oooh, what lovely plants! Well done for rescuing the gooseberries!

29 Apr, 2009

Seaburngirl

I didnt manage to get to them before they were defoilated last year but i still had a good crop of fruits.
dw- i do like the arum and of course the fantastic red berries in the autumn positively glow from the shade.

29 Apr, 2009