I Put A Smell On You

This past March, I bought a few bulbs at the Chicago Flower Show. Somehow, I managed to forget that I had done so. Then one morning in early April, I came down into my kitchen, and smelled a pronounced odor. I couldn't quite place it. It didn't smell like any sort of rotten food, nor did it smell like my cats had used something other than their litterboxes to relieve themselves. But it was pervasive, and it was a stench. I finally traced the aroma to a plastic shopping bag tucked away in the corner, where I found this:

Sauromatum venosum, aka Voodoo Lily. When I put it on the floor to photograph, Peppermint the cat came over to investigate. He took one sniff, and did a giant backward leap, his spine arched and his tail fluffed out in alarm.

Two closer looks at the inflorescence. That long dark spadix is normally straight, however being cramped in a small plastic bag for a few weeks caused it to twist. It looks serpentine and sinister, as something called Voodoo Lily should.

As intriguing as it looks, something that smells so bad that it discomfits the ever-intrepid Peppermint cannot stay indoors. Even a Crazy Plant Lady has limits. I potted it up and put it outside in the garage, since it was too early in the spring to put it outdoors. Though sources vary on how hardy it is, the far northwestern Chicago suburbs are definitely not in its range. The odor ceased after a day or so, and the flower began to fade. Later that month, I put it out on the porch.

The bulb, with the flower stalk in the center and three nascent leaf stalks around the perimeter

This is what the plant looks like today:

I love the tropical looks of the leafed out Sauromatum...

...And I especially love the spotted petioles. (The dried husk hanging down on the left side of the pot in the top picture is the remains of the inflorescence.)

My plans are to enjoy the plant outdoors on my porch for the summer and then decide what to do with it in the fall. Oh, and the other bulbs I bought and forgot about were Liatris spicata for my outdoor garden beds. They were planted out later, and are doing fine.

Entertaining Royalty in My Garden

No, not the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. I wouldn't begin to know what to serve them. I do know what pleases this visitor, however:

Monarch butterfly caterpillar (Danaus plexippus) enjoying a milkweed plant (Asclepias syriaca) in my front yard garden. (As always, click for a more detailed view.)

I've been allowing common milkweed volunteers to grow in my garden for eight years, hoping to encourage Monarchs to reproduce here. This is first year they've ever produced flowers, and the first year I've seen a caterpillar, even though we do get a fair number of Monarch butterflies.

Front Garden. The tall plants in the rear, just to the left of the hanging basket, are the Milkweeds. The orange flowers in front are Asclepias tuberosa, (butterfly weed) which also attracts Monarchs.

Closer view of Asclepias tuberosa, Gaillardia, and Rudbeckia hirta

Here are some other pictures from my front yard gardens this summer:

The two-year old bed at the foot of the right side of our driveway really came into its own this year. The gray plants are Artemesia stelleriana 'Silver Brocade,' the purple spikes are Salvia nemorosa 'East Friesland' and Salvia x sylvestris "May Night."

This is the more mature garden to the left of the driveway at the sidewalk, filled with Salvia, Sedum, Sempervivum, Gaillardia and Juniperus, not to mention the Clematis-covered trellises.

Hemerocallis NoId (I thought it might be 'Chicago Fire' or 'Chicago Apache', but it doesn't quite match the pictures of either of those that I can find online.)

Echinacea 'Sundown'

The new backyard garden I planted last year has really taken off, and I will be featuring it in an upcoming post.

Garfield Park Conservatory Severely Damaged by Hail

I was incredibly saddened to learn that the beautiful Garfield Park Conservatory was hit by a devastating hailstorm last week. Among the most severely damaged areas was the exquisite Fern Room that I featured earlier. The story can be read here at the Chicago Tribune site.

I still have dozens of photographs from my visit there in May that I want to share. The pictures in this post, with a couple of exceptions, are from the Palm House and Aroid House, which due to previous renovations, were among the least damaged areas.

Entrance to the Palm House, with the Fern Room (triangular roof) in the distance

Strelitizia, Bromeliads, and Crinum jagua (aka Spider Lilies) overlook the reflection pond near the entrance. This is the square pond seen in the picture above.

The Palm House landscape includes tropical and subtropical foliage in contrasting shades, as well as blooming plants.

Another view, emphasizing the height of this part of the Conservatory

Three views of the giant Scheelea Palm, from the top down, and the sign detailing its history

Lipstick Palm, Cyrtostachys renda, surrounded by a Fittonia groundcover

The highlight of the Aroid House is the koi pond, which includes glass sculptures by Dale Chihuly

Philodendron 'Xanadu,' which can be a problematic houseplant, thrives in conservatory conditions in the Aroid House.

This large Monstera deliciosa was located not in the Aroid House, but in the Fern Room.

Time will tell what will become of the beautiful Fern Room, and the plants it contains. I am so happy that I got to see the Conservatory again after all those years, and so disheartened at what has happened. I hope that it can be restored to enchant visitors with its beauty and history. According a follow-up story at the Tribune, some areas have already been reopened to the public.