The Perfect Orchid For A Haunted Garden!

But maybe you will want to wear nose plugs.

Scientists are studing the Saturium pumilum orchid, commonly known as the Carrion Orchid becuase it mimics the "fragrance" of road kill to attract flies for pollination. 

Dennis Hanson Photo

It doesn't produce nectar to attract bees or other beneficial insects, so it doesn't smell sweet, depending upon attracting flies, who then pick up the pollen to be deposited into a female orchid..

The scent is close enough to the real thing, to cause female flesh flies to deposit their larvae on the flowers instead of decaying flesh.


So if you have a sandy soil bank on your pond, or a small stream meanders through your yard, you might find this South African orchid a perfect addition to your haunted garden. .right next to the Skunk Cabbage!

If you listen really carefully

to most of the plants in my garden you can hear them weeping silently and saying, very quietly

"don't move me again.....please, please don't move me again ..."

The more I garden the better I get at putting the right plant in the right spot....but I have to admit that sometimes, it takes more than one placement to find the "perfect" home for a given plant.

Some of the plants that say they like shade, likely meant shade in somewhere warm like California, shade in the Pacific Northwest, often comes with damp and wet.  I have had more than one weak plant just completely denigrate. A sad way to go.

So if they live long enough for me to see they are in distress, I will move them.

Other times they just get too big for their current home and since I am digging them up to divide them anyway, might as well see if it will look better over "there."

So the wheelbarrow and the shovels in my garden garage get the most mileage in spring and fall.

I never thought to see if I could get the cats to help me......this is a great idea. :)

Porcupine Tomato

Solanum pyracanthum

Grown from seed starting in early May, by Halloween it should be 2 feet tall and covered in bright orange spines. Keep this one out of reach of trick-or-treaters, though. The prickles poke if handled roughly and the plant bears mildly poisonous fruits. 

Phantom Petunia

Petunia, "Phantom"

Wouldn't this look lovely when partnered with the Black Velvet Petunia?

WIP from Ron Byrum

This a peek Ron's WIP

It will be a Witch Doll similar to our Witch paintings but a 8 1/2" sculpture. Next comes the lace, dress and broom. We will be listing on Ebay when she is finished.

Bizarre Botanicals

Here's A MUST for every horticultural library!!