I may be patient but I am also incredibly forgetful when it comes to names and what is growing in my garden. It doesn’t bother me too much as I do remember I have plants when I see something in a nursery and then there is always the surprise and pleasure when I discover a forgotten gem lurking in the border.
This weekend it was Arisarum proboscideum or ‘Mouse Plant. You will see from the photo below that you really have to get down on your hands and knees to see the spathes which if you look very carefully so look a bit like mice with their tails sticking out. As ever I had forgotten I had this plant and I was busy weeding the woodland border and admiring the lovely clump of glossy green arrow shaped leaves when one of the mousey spathes appeared. I was so excited as the plant has lots of spathes on it and looks wonderful. I have seen this plant at the Malvern Spring Show for some years now and never bought it as I thought it might be difficult for my garden. I’m not sure why but maybe it was woodland requirements which I have only had in the last year or so. I now remember that the plant was a gift from Simon last year along with some other edible plants when he was in the area for the Spring show.
I wonder how long the flowers will last and how the spathes will decay. I think I will be having dirty knees for a few weeks now while I keep peering at the plant to see what is happening.
