This summer my gardening neighbour lady called me over to have a look at something in her garden. It was the dying remains of a remarkable exotic plant. I have seen these in garden centra before, but never in a garden. I had to sort of stand there a minute and rub my eyes... She told me that she had seen the plant come up before, but had always schoffeled the foliage away, thinking that it was a weed. This year, she thought that she would let it go and see what happened and then remove it. I asked her if the plant had an unpleasant odour, and she said, "Did it ever"! It is the Dracunculus vulgaris, I told her, but I added that I was not really sure. Here is a pic of how the plant was when I saw it. The neighbour lady is holding the tablet, showing how it was a couple of days before. Then the pic from her tablet so that you can see how it looked the day she took the foto. Well, I had no idea that one could grow this plant in our climate. It just goes to show that you nevvah can tell if something will work, unless you try it in the face of all opposition and good reason. Well done, Neighbour lady. ....Tja, I can hear Chuck Berry singing the words even now. You wanna hear it too? ---> http://youtu.be/oBheLOmtf3c Dear, oh dear. I just had to kick-off my house shoes and give it a go. Did you?
Sjeord I have two Dracunculus vulgaris which are very similar to the one in your photographs. They do have the most dreadful smell but, at the same time, they are rather lovely if you stand downwind.
S, that is very cool looking. I love the color of it, but if it stinks...well, I would think twice about it and then put it in.
Now I'm not going to be able to get that song out of my head! Cool looking plant. Glad she let it grow so that now she knows what it is.
Wow EILEEN--Fancy that! Two! I just can't get over it. Over here they sell them in the garden centres in the summer and then peeps keep them in a pot on their patio and chuck it in the bin in the fall. Hats off to you too. You must be well chuffed with your success. I like the colour and its impressive appearance...but the smell? We would say one can best stand UPWIND to admire the bloom. hahaha. Heh heh heh...C-- Very understandable. CHERYL--It does look cool, granted; however, that smell can really put you off. Yes, it was great that she let it grow. She was tickled pink. I am not sure, but I believe she said that it had apparently been planted by the previous plot holder. Now...do you know that I had that song in my mind too. After I posted the thread, I went out to do grocery shopping and walked up and down the isles whistling and quietly singing the song...much to the chagrin of my blushing partner. Cackle
Gee thanks, Sjoerd! Now at 2 a.m. I'll be running that song through my head . I love it that your neighbor let the plant grow to see what it would turn out to be. I'd never seen nor heard of Dracunculus vulgaris, and luckily, I'd never smelled it, either. I love the things you can learn here on the Stew!
Heh heh heh, MG-- It is the next day here and I'm still humming it. What have I done to myself. Well, I would have never heard of it perhaps except that I have seen a much, much larger variety on my travels in the world and of course they sell them here in the Garden Centres. It is an interesting plant to be sure....just that odour. Wooooooo!
I love the look of that plant and really wished we could grow it here, but thought it would only grow in southern Europe since I've seen it growing wild there. Now that I've read your story I think I'll pass on it.
Heh heh heh...Yeah, you really wouldn't want to have the fragrance of this exotic in your nostrils...or even in your neighbourhood!
