Update On The Blossoms

Tis a great day in our garden. As you see the flowers are wonderful. The primroses above are delightful as is the false nettle below. The false nettle came into our garden from our friend, Liz, who had the plants under a tree at her house in Shepherdstown. The nettle has now covered the entire bank behind our koi pond.

Ajuga is also a great ground cover. It is so hardy and can grow in USDA zones 3 to 9.

Some flowers are so delicate.

Others flowers are hidden beneath their foliage. This is the case with ginger. The ginger plant is another great ground cover.

We love these wonderful mahogany critters.

Friends, below is another plant that you would never see the flowers unless you search under the leaves.

This plant is known as the Mouse Plant (Arisarum proboscideum). It is a small cousin to the Jack-in-the-pulpit. The start of this Arium came from Ray and Sue who live near Seattle, WA.

These ultra-charming blooms are not quite entirely hidden because the tails make them six or seven inches long, so that either the maroon tail, or occasionally a portion of the main body of the mouse, will poke out of the shiny green arrowhead foliage.


Its gorgeous green arrowhead leaves form a low, spreading carpet beginning late in winter. It would be a pretty plant even without flowers. It is the strange flowers that lend it its name. The long tail on each fat little spathes lends the flowers the appearance of a family of mice, enhanced by the chocolate-maroon coloration of the upper portion and tail. The lower portion of the spathe is white like a deer mouse's belly.


This plant is a woodland aroid native to Italy & Spain.