Another Wildflower Wednesday!!

Springtime is such a happy season!!  These are two Jacks-in-the-Pulpit that I began from seed about three years ago.  The plain green one is one from our "farm" from which I obtained seeds.  I was given the seeds for the striped one from ION Exchange in N.E. Iowa.  Both sets of seeds were scarified and stratified in my "Milkjug Greenhouses" over the winter.

Both plants are natives.  It seems most people "in the know" consider all variations to be the same plant.  I did learn that the male plant is usually larger.  The female is smaller in size. Here's an interesting fact:  Jacks-in-the-pulpit bloom in April or May with an unusual flowering structure that gives it its name. The visible parts of the flowering structure are the club-like spadix (“Jack”) that rises within and above the edge of a leaf-like spathe (“the pulpit”). The upper part of the spathe curves forward and downward, acting as an umbrella to prevent water from flooding the 30 to 60 tiny flowers that are hidden at the base of the spadix. Individual plants have either male or female flowers—botanists call this dioecy.

The Male plant has a hole in the base of the pulpit which allows insects to get out.  The female does not have this exit, which means that the insect is trapped and, hopefully, given the opportunity to do a better job of pollination.

Other interesting facts include that the plant lives about 20 years and can change sex from one year to another.  This depends upon the size of the corm and its stored resources.  If the plant has adequate resource for blooming and producing seeds, it will be female.  If it does not, it will be male.

Pretty Interesting, yes??
Happy Spring!!  SG

Wildflower Wednesday; Phlox divaricata laphamii

This woodland phlox warms the cockles of my heart every spring!  And it is spreading around in the flower beds (and in the back yard!!)  Love!!

Now, I have just noticed the dandilion.  He's free and very photogenic.  You might want to know what I do with these fellows!

About 5 years ago, I began using black trash bags to put the weeds, clippings (things not going into my compost pile), etc., etc.   I put them in a fairly sunny area (pretty much out of sight) and turn the bags over once in awhile.  It doesn't take too long - a year or two?  and I have a bag of "black gold - compost!"  The seeds in there get cooked and become inactive.  hurrah!

Happy Spring!!

SG

Quoting Wm Shakespeare: Come Gentlemen, I Hope We Shall Drink Down All Unkindness...

Quotation of William Shakespeare begins this post...

Without Question, we do drink deeply of the beauty of Spring, where we find little or no unkindness.

Spring it is
And we drink deeply...

Beauty abounds,

New growth appears,

Fresh green-ness,

Overriding calm,

Heartfelt gladness

Sharing wealth

And we drink deeply.

Quissential Quietude, Non-querilous Query, Never-quitting, Soul Quenching 
Gladness 
Is Spring.

May you find your Quarry.
Happy Spring!
SG

This is only one of the posts for the final (boo-hoo) round of ABC Wednesday.  Click on the logo below to visit the links to other posts.