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| Voodoo Lily (Dracunculus vulgaris) in Bloom |
Guess what greeted me on Mother's Day Sunday? The fully opened voodoo lily! It was still closed on Friday when M was here and I didn't check on it on Saturday. I checked today and there it was! In all it's purple, stinky glory, with several flies buzzing around it! The smell wasn't too overpowering to me and was reminiscent of dried fish, but, I'm glad I planted it away from the house! The showy purple "flower" is a pseudo flower and is a bract or spathe. The actual flowers are inconspicuous and the darker purple spadix sticking up in the middle contains the actual flowers. The flies will pollinate them when they walk around the spadix and spathe, attracted by the smell of rotting flesh and they will form seeds. I'm looking forward to collecting them and trying to grow them. The plant is also a tuber and will propagate new plants through the tuber, as well.
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| Another View |
A very striking plant and flower, but, most likely not something I'd want to cut and bring indoors to put in a vase! LOL!
I've had a relaxed day, today. I walked around the back garden in the late morning and picked a whole handful of blueberries, which I ate right then and there! LOL. Yum! Fresh, organic blueberries for breakfast! Then, I picked more snowpea pods. The plants look like they are starting to die, but, still, they keep producing pea pods! I froze the ones I picked today.
In the afternoon, I took a nap on the sofa and later, I walked for 20 minutes. I didn't see anyone during my walk, today.
Later in the evening, one of daughter's friends, who lives and works in the Bay Area, but is visiting his family over the weekend, stopped by to pick up a couple of items to take back to my daughter. At the same time, he returned some containers I had given with food to his parents, with a piece of Korean bean cake in one of the containers because one doesn't return containers empty, and a box of macadamia nut chocolates (he just returned from a work-related conference in Hawaii, he said). I thought that was very sweet of him to bring me a box of chocolates.
I had texts of Mother's Day wishes from the daughter of one of my late friends and from cousin P's daughter. Later in the evening, one of friend A's daughters called, too. It's the first Mother's Day after A's passing in November. Those firsts are always so difficult, aren't they?
I made waffles for brunch and I baked some chicken wings that I brushed with barbecue sauce for dinner. A macadamia nut chocolate for dessert!
Today, I am grateful for:
- My daughter, without whom I wouldn't be a mother!
- Family and friends who called or texted to wish me for Mother's Day
- Daughter's friend picking up the items for daughter and bringing me chocolates!
- Afternoon naps
- The garden harvest
Today's joyful activity was video chatting with my daughter.
Plans for tomorrow include:
- Fresh flowers for the altar
- Water the garden
- Start the car
- Meal plan; maybe order groceries?
Sounds like a nice day. I do like the custom of returning containers with something in them.
ReplyDeleteIt was a good day, Anne; it would have been better if my daughter was here to celebrate the day with me, but, otherwise, it was a good day. :) I like the custom of returning containers with something in them. The Koren bean cake was very interesting - chewy, not too sweet, full of nuts and seeds.
DeleteSounds like you had a really lovely Mother's Day. You're right that the first Mother's Day without a Mother is difficult. How lovely that you were given chocolates by your daughter's friend. That is a very unusual plant but doesn't sound very appealing, definitely not a plant for the house although I do like it's colour.
ReplyDeleteIt really was a good day, Eileen, although it would have been better if my daughter was home to celebrate with me! The chocolates were very welcome! :D The bean cake was very interesting, too.
DeleteThat plant is definitely attractive to look at, but, not exactly a house plant! LOL. Unless one can't smell anything. Although, I read that the smell dissipates after a day or two. We shall find out!
I've never seen a Voodoo Lily before. It looks magnificent even if very smelly!
ReplyDeleteBelated happy Mother's Day wishes to you. It sounds like you had a lovely day.
Nothing exciting happening here: Sunday was a relaxed day, cooking and watching TV. Today will be spent doing a little food shopping as I seem to be running out of staple items.
Have a great day Bless x
It's the first time I've seen a voodoo lily, myself, Angela. I love the color!
DeleteThank you for the Mother's Day wishes. I did have a good day.
I'm glad you had a relaxed day on Sunday and hope you find some good bargains when you grocery shop today. :)
That is a very intriguing flower. In spite of not having your daughter with you on Mother's Day, it does sound like you had a good day.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it an unusual flower? There was very little smell today, when I checked on it (I've read that the smell will dissipate over a couple of days).
DeleteI did have a good Mother's Day, even if my daughter was not home to celebrate it with me! I missed her and wished she was home, but, she called and wished me in the morning and we video chattted in the evening. We didn't observe Mother's Day when I was growing up in Sri Lanka; didn't even know about it until we left the country!
Besides talking with your daughter, macadamia nut chocolates sound like the perfect Mother's Day gift. Yum.
ReplyDeleteOh, they were! I'm afraid I made good inroads into the box, too! I had to hide the box from myself to stop eating them! :D
DeleteMonday: today I am grateful for our national health service and a brilliant Sri Lankan doctor called Navini who has been stitching me up!
ReplyDeleteOh, I'm glad you are being well taken care of, Angela. How interesting to hear that your doctor was Sri Lankan!
DeleteI think there are more appealing Mother's Day flowers around! But it is not unattractive in itself and so interesting to grow, far away from the house. It is different not having a mother around to celebrate here and now. I used to have to buy cards a year early, as in England mothers are celebrated in March and sending a card in May would be meaningless.
ReplyDeleteIt has been quite windy this morning and although the temperature outside is decent, the house is cool.
LOL, no, it is not your usual Mother's Day flower! :D The aroma was much less, today.
DeleteI was a mess on Mother's Day after my mother died, but, over the years, I've come to appreciate it as my own day to celebrate the fact that I'm a mother. I didn't go to the cemetery, yesterday, because I knew it would be crowded. As I mentioned to Mary-Lou (Patio Postcards) above, Mother's Day wasn't a tradition I grew up with. I might visit the cemetery later in the week.
It was cloudy here, in the morning, but, the afternoon has been sunny. I did most of my housework for the day, but, still need to start the car.
That is a striking looking plant, and it is such a beautiful colour. I've never heard of a Voodoo Lily before. X
ReplyDeleteIt is also known by a few other names (Dragon lily, Dragon arum, stink lily, snake lily, etc.) I do love that color and its unusual appearance. :)
DeleteWhat a nice Mother's Day with greetings of the day from your Voodoo Lilly (which I had never heard of until you put one in your garden)
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting plant. You are turning into quite the botanist :)
That was very nice of your daughter's friend to return your containers with the inclusion of treats for you.
Sounds like you had a nice relaxing pleasant day.
It was a very nice day, Debra, thank you. It would have been lovely if my daughter had been with me, but, we made the best of it. :)
DeleteThe voodoo lily is definitely an attention getter, isn't it?
And yes, it was very nice of my daughter's friend to return the containers with a few treats included. I've been enjoying those treats! :)