03 October 2007

The madness

cobra lily (!)
I took the watchword moderation to the plant sale Sunday, and I mostly succeeded. No $80 vines or 15-foot Agavaceae this time, and I averted my gaze from some very choice Cycads that were fetching $350+.

I did however find myself helpless in an unexpected area full of carnivorous plants, and escaped as any sane man would, with a single pot of Darlingtonia californica, our native carnivore. The cobra lily is interesting for a number of reasons which mostly elude me, as I'm not a big carnivorous plant aficionado. But it undeniably looks cool, the flowers too.

And since it grows in running water, in mountain streams, with winter snow cover, it should be a piece of cake!

Other acquisitions included 2 monkeyflowers, a very nicely mottled Lachenalia hybrid, an unidentified Mexican Silene they've been pushing hard, and Aquilegia formosa in belated admission of my failure to start it from seed.

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4 Comments:

Blogger chuck b. said...

Good luck with Darlingtonia. I tried once and failed. Lovely plant.

In addition to [free] Keckiella brevifolia and Aquilegia sp., could I possibly interest you in Calycanthus occidentalis (cutting propagated), Vaccinium ovatum (very small seedlings; take three), Geranium maderense, Cerinthe major [all free]?

10/03/2007 10:08 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ha, V. ovatum is one of the first plants I killed.

Considering that the little space I have is shady, I might have to give it another shot. But that Calycanthus is tempting...

10/04/2007 5:43 PM  
Blogger chuck b. said...

I have several rooted cutings--one is especially nice with lots of buds leafing out.

10/04/2007 11:27 PM  
Blogger lisa said...

Cobra lilies are so cool. I'm making a bog garden next year, so I hope you'll post your progress with this plant. As for moderation, you did better than me...I can't even set foot in a nursery anywhere right now (weak and self-indulgent, bad combo).

10/12/2007 4:44 PM  

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