Monday, May 25, 2009

0 for 2

Before I left for work I made sure to look at the Voodoo Lily. The bud was bursting. Today would be the day. I moved it to the shade so the heat of the sun wouldn’t ruin it. This year I would finally get to see it blooming!

Fast forward 10 hours…I get home. I’ve got a car full of bags of mulch and dry cleaning to unload. Lila, (dog) is scratching at the door and wants out! Who can blame her? She’s been inside for hours and wants out NOW! However she can’t be trusted, if she sees something more interesting in the street then she’ll dash out. A flat Chug is not a good Chug. I put her in the back yard and close the gate while I unload the car.

Funny. I’m done but she isn’t standing at the gate watching me like she always is. I open the gate and still she isn’t running towards me…where is she? That’s when I see her. She is standing next to the Voodoo blossom. It’s broken and she is chomping on something. OMG. I have a faint memory of the word poison. I grab her and run inside, consult the computer and sure enough. All parts of this plant are poisonous! I go back out and piece together the flower. Nothing seems to be missing but there are marks. Teeth marks? Something has been at it.


Lila seems to be ok. We watch her. We take her back out and put her by the bloom. Food is her middle name and nothing stands between her and food. She isn’t at all interested in the flower. She’d rather play in the grass.

Thank god she’s fine. All I have to show you is a slightly chewed and deformed flower, not the “beauty” I was hoping to see this year, but I do have the same slightly grumpy but adorable Chug that I had this morning. I count us lucky and know that next year the Voodoo Lily goes away, out of dog reach, while it blooms its rotten meat scented bloom. Safety first!

9 comments:

  1. AnonymousMay 25, 2009

    I know I probably shouldn't have had this reaction to this post, but you had me laughing out loud as I was eating my dinner! That last picture just sent me over the edge. The expression just works.
    Glad she is okay!
    Sorry about the voodoo lily.

    ESP.

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  2. Dogs and gardens---not an easy combo. I was just thinking the same about kids and gardens today as my kids had friends over to swim, and balls were flying over my precious plants and feet were tromping perilously close to my favorites. But we love 'em anyway---the kids and dogs, I mean. ;-)

    Sorry about the voodoo lily. Maybe next year!

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  3. Thanks ESP, in hindsight it is funny and when she makes that expression we laugh at her too. She looks so ridiculous!

    You are so right Pam...and in fact with all the horror stories I hear I think I'm getting off pretty easy, she's a good one. Now kids on the other hand, I tip my hat to you!

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  4. Well... third time's the charm! You are really putting a lot of effort into this wacky plant, so the payoff is going to be so great when it arrives. So glad your pooch is okay! Hm, flowers that smell like rotten meat, I guess I can see why they would have to be investigated. Yikes!

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  5. Oh no, I was looking forward to seeing that one too. Glad the little pup is okay though. On the bright side, at least it's a small enough plant you could put the pot up out of reach next year, but still enjoy it. Dogs! Of course they have to find disgusting smelling flowers irresistible! I banished my annual castor beans from the yard when I couldn't stop Oscar from chewing the stems. Crazy animals.

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  6. Karen, I hope you are right about the 3rd time! I was watering near where it is this morning and the flies were all over it, but the smell is not nearly as strong as last year.

    Megan exactly! I'm glad that I've left it in a pot so it will be easy to put out of her reach. I scored a castor bean for $1 at Cistus' fall sale last year. I was going to try to over-winter it in the basement with the agaves, but then we went out of town and I left it in the driveway in it's black plastic pot on a very hot weekend. Toast. Now that we have Lila I guess that's not such a bad thing.

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  7. the expression on Lila's face is priceless.
    glad everyone was safe and sound and there is always next year for the voo doo lily bloom.

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  8. OMG - little Lila! I know that look well - Dexter gives it to me when I catch him nibbling on the leaves of my Echium wildprettii - his favorite snack. But at least it isn't poisonous!
    I am so glad she's okay.
    The lily WILL be a beauty- it just has another year to get it's gorgeousness all saved up! I know it can be a disappointment, but gardening is supposed to teach us patience, right? Right?
    I still have alot to learn on that count!
    Love to the beautiful proud little chug!

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  9. Michelle, please don't tell her she is priceless, she already has a big enough head!

    Germi, what variety is your Dexter? I don't think we've seen a picture have we? Patience huh? I've heard that word but never quite sure what they are talking about....

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