Yellowjackets

Day 240: The Yellowjackets are out! No, I'm not talking about the stinging insects. I'm talking about the pair of blooms on my Sarracenia "Yellowjacket." It's easy to see how the varietal got its name with its delicious lemony yellow petals. To be completely honest, I divided and repotted my carnivores this spring and the foliage is not doing well. Rubra has yet to put on any new growth after putting up several small, feeble flowers. The issue might be due to transplanting or it may be a response to too-cold winter nights on the porch. Although I could replace them fairly easily, I will still attempt to nurse these back to health. After all, they've been with me for quite a few years now.

Carnivore Carnival

Day 246: Sarracenia Carolina Yellow Jacket (left) has presented her first two flowers this year, both open as of this writing. I had wondered how they would compare with those of her cousin Audrey (Sarracenia rubra, right). She is less flamboyant. Rubra comes on stage in a rush of scarlet ruffles; Yellow Jacket enters gracefully in a sleek gown of palest yellow tastefully accented with red. Rubra has the most buds ever: seven in various stages of development, only one of which is fully open.

These flowers are remarkably long-lived when compared with other plants. Each individual blossom maintains its colour for several weeks, slowly turning brown but never going limp or watery. When completely dry, they are somewhat withered, but the petals are less fragile than one might expect. They would make a nice addition to a dried arrangement if it wasn't for all the dead bugs trapped inside!

Sarracenia Season

Day 231: The Sarracenias are budding! Those of my readers who have been following me for some years know about the two carnivores who protect my back porch from mosquitoes. "Audrey" (named after the plant in "Little Shop of Horrors") is Sarracenia rubra, a species whose pitchers grow to about 12" in height; the other is Sarracenia x Carolina Yellow Jacket (unnamed as of this writing), its pitchers much shorter (about 8" maximum) and stouter than those of rubra, and morphologically different as well. Rubra (left) has bloomed in growing numbers each of the last four or five years, the stalks rising to 18", terminating in an enormous and unusually-shaped red flower. This year, she has produced SEVEN buds! I've only had Yellow Jacket (right) for a couple of years, and although it bore one or two small buds last year, they did not mature. I am confident that the two buds shown in the photo will develop fully, and I'm anxious to see what form the blossom takes.

These Pitchers are hardy in our Pacific Northwest winters, although I bring them indoors when temperatures drop below the mid-twenties. The foliage suffers some light frost damage even so, but new pitchers begin growing concurrently with the development of the inflorescences. At this point, the new pitchers are still quite small on both plants, but a number of older ones have remained viable, ready to devour any hapless bugs who venture into their interiors. Every year when I trim back the frost-nipped tips, I am surprised to see just how well they've done their job. Invariably, the husks of dead insects fill each one to a depth of four or five inches, accumulated from the previous summer.

The Maw

Day 347: Without having seen "Little Shop of Horrors," it took me a while to find out what my friends meant when they'd say, "Feed me, Seymour!" in response to my posts about the collection of carnivores living on my back porch. I finally watched the original movie a few months ago, and although I now understand the reference, I can't for the life of me figure out how such an obvious plot twist and cliché filmography earned the film cult status. At some point, I will watch the modern version, although I suspect that it will offer more gore (something I can do without), but nothing to improve the premise. Let's see...the original Rod Serling "Twilight Zone" must have had a version, and its precursor "Tales of Tomorrow" certainly did. Both pre-dated "Little Shop" by a decade or more. Fun if you're 11 or 12, not so attention-grabbing once you've passed through adolescence.

So...movie critiques aside, this is Sarracenia x Carolina Yellowjacket, my "other" Sarracenia. It has wider but shorter pitchers than Sarracenia rubra (background), but their unique, somewhat portly shape suggests that this plant can consume a lot more bugs. Like rubra, its pitchers are lined with downward-pointing hairs which guide insects first into the throat and then into a pool of digestive enzymes at the bottom. There's no escape for the hapless fly who lands here! To date, Yellowjacket has not bloomed for me, but it has filled its pot to the point that I'll have to divide it next spring. Say bye-bye, bugs! You're doomed!

Houseguests

Day 77: In and out, in and out. Nights in the low twenties might be fine for Sarracenias living in a bog, but with no more soil around their roots than can be contained in a pot, that's the point at which I bring them indoors for a sleep-over. When morning comes, it's back out on the porch for both of them. As you can see, the system is working. Sarracenia rubra (right) has been with me for three winters, and has gone from a mere half dozen pitchers to a pot so crowded, I may have to divide it next spring. Carolina Yellow Jacket (left) was a new addition to my collection of carnivorous plants early this spring. It has also multiplied rapidly. As exotic as they appear, the Sarracenias are amazingly hardy!

Yellowjackets

Day 291: While we're on the subject of carnivorous plants (we were talking about Sundews day before yesterday), I am happy to report that my Sarracenia x Carolina Yellow Jacket has turned into a veritable grove of hungry pitchers and is keeping my back porch bug-free with the assistance of its companion, Sarracenia rubra. In this record-breaking heat, I top up their water saucers at least once a day to ensure that they have the proper boggy conditions their roots prefer, and although I often see mosquito larvae in the bowls, I have yet to see a single mosquito. They're doing a great job, my door wardens!

A Day In The Garden

Day 225: Since moving into this house 25 years ago, I've gardened in varying degrees. At first, it seemed that the battle against the weeds would never end. The flower beds were overgrown with grass when I took possession of the property, and with the help of a friend, we excavated them to a depth of 18", sifting out weeds and rocks, replacing anything which looked like it might turn into a desirable plant. It took three or four years of diligent weeding to bring any semblance of order to the chaos, and during that time, I planted mostly annuals so I could pull up anything green which sprouted the following spring. Later, I began to add a few perennials to the ones we'd unearthed, and now I've abandoned annuals almost entirely. The garden is at last manageable with a minimum of care.

This year, however, good weather came early, and I went a bit berserk when the grubbing-in-the-dirt mood came over me. I laid new beds, planted shrubs and trees, shifted perennials to better locations and added new ones to fill in the gaps. Finally, I can honestly say that I am enjoying gardening rather than looking upon the activity as something more or less demanded of any homeowner. Now I am seeing the real rewards!

From left to right, top to bottom:

This variety of Osteospermum carries the enchanting name "Spoonflower." Can you see why?

An old-fashioned favourite, this yellow Columbine was one we salvaged.

The Wisteria was one of the first things I planted. It has borne more flowers this year than any time past.

Lily-of-the-Valley was a must-have because as a child, I enjoyed it at my grandmother's home.

Sarracenia "Carolina Yellow Jacket" is my newest carnivore. It stands in a dish of water to keep its feet wet.

The pink Columbines came with the house. Not my favourite color, I am phasing them out gradually.

Door Wardens

Day 184: A little desperate for a blog photo tonight because I have been out gardening and (ugh!) mowing all day, so I thought I would give my readers a closer look at the newest addition to my Sarracenia collection. This is "Carolina Yellow Jacket," a hybrid of three varieties. It is a compact plant, the tightly packed pitchers grow to no more than eight inches in length. The hoods of Yellow Jacket are erect rather than nodding, a factor which allow rainwater to collect in the cups. Like other Sarracenias, its pitchers are lined with downward-pointing "hairs" which prevent unwary insects from escaping their inevitable doom. Once inside a pitcher, the only direction a bug can travel is downward, into a reservoir of digestive enzymes. I am happy to have Sarracenias guarding my back porch from mosquitoes and flies!

Look What Followed Me Home!

Day 179: It began as a couple of innocent items on my shopping list for today. Preparatory to transplanting a couple of horse chestnut trees and a fig, I intended to purchase potting soil and bark mulch in order to do the job right, but that meant checking a couple of different garden centers for the best price. Strangely, by the time I was again bound homeward, my car was packed as full as it could be: five bags of mulch, two of soil, a pair of Blue Star juniper tams, an orange tuberous begonia, a one-gallon Clematis Vancouver Sea Breeze, and the greatest prize of all, Sarracenia x Carolina Yellow Jacket.

The Pitcher Plant is a new hybrid and according to the tag, "a hardy horticultural conversation piece," i.e., a companion for my Sarracenia rubra (which, incidentally, is developing two blossoms this year). It too will stand guard at my back door, protecting me from flies and mosquitoes and perhaps the occasional guest who arrives unannounced. Trespass not, lest ye be eaten!