How Unusual!

like these dawn, so differant, are they in your garden

I agree, Dawn. I saw some of these up at one of our local churchyards and took some of the seeds. Unfortunately they didn't do anything when I planted them :(

Hi San/Gee - I've never seen one of these before, they're in my Aunt's garden Sandra. She says, the leaves come up first, then these spikes, the leaves fall off, the berries then turn red and it dies down over winter. I was so impressed. Shame the seeds didnt grow Gee - hopefully someone will identify the plant :-)

do the birds like them dawn, look yummy dont they lol

don't know sorry..seen it before .always wondered.oh what is happening outside, little bird is screaming .oh nooo..please no...sob sob the Sparrowhawk got one of my baby bluetits.

awwww no deida how awfull for you, poor little mite :o((

Oh no Deida, how sad. Blinkin sparrowhawk - luckily I havent seen one in my garden, now I've said that I fear. Nothing you can do is there - poor little blue tit - I still have the brilliant photo of one of yours on my favourites - looks like tweety pie.
I hadnt seen the plant before until today - just love it.

My Aunt didnt mention if the birds like them, she didnt know the name either. She pulled one up but it just had a white stem and no root :-(

bad luck dawn, bet they are tubers or bulbs

We were looking at some of these this afternoon in the fairy dell with Noseypotter , we didn,t know what they were called either , I will have to get the books out .. .

how did the day go amy with NP, was alot there

It's Arum maculatum ( Cuckoo Pint )

What a coincidence Amy.
Wow, brilliant, thanks Hywel - I can do some research now.
Do you have them in your garden Hywel?

It was crowded Sandy , a lovely day see my pics on the blog .......

Glad you made it Amy - I'll go over to your blog now.

Thank you Hywel

Must count my little bluetit babies tomorrow.....

You'll have to get a scare crow Deida, lol

try not to get to upset deida its nature and we cant do anything to change that, very sad to witness though

I don't have them in my garden. I've only seen them growing wild in the hedgerows.

seen your blog amy, lovely pics and looked a great day

ive seen these growing wild too, they are lovely

Hywel, Irish: I've never seen them growing wild ... lucky you. So different, dont you think.

We call these Lords and Ladies ..as Hywel says is Arum maculatum.
Guess the ladies must be the single lily flower the lords follow ...oh well just use your imagination lol

Wow, what an amazing display, wish mine looked like this in the summer. Guess mine are all long legged ladies, and the men are coming up way short...lol (surprise, surprise...:-/)

Ha ha FLC, you make me smile. You'll have to post a pic.

looks like a wild Arum to me.........

You're right Holly, I think they are great, I bought some bulbs a few weeks ago.

i didnt know you could buy them......... only really seen them growing wild in the woods................

I got them for J Parkers, actually I've checked and the variety I've bought is Arum Italicum, similar to this though. My aunt bought her's from an Open Garden visit.

There very nice..... would do well in my bit of fairy garden...........

I think they're amazing HollyE, I hope my bulbs come up.

Im sure they will................

we have lords and ladies tucked away in danker parts of our garden... i think they're supposed to be quite poisonus

I've heard than Jenny, best not to get them mixed up with sweetcorn.

hahaa, i'd never thought of that... but now you say it, a bit of butter and they could be quite tempting ;)
- ready prepared on a squewer and all :P

Lol Jenny. Fascinating plants though, arent they. I set some bulbs in the Autumn but they've not done well, a few leaves came up but that was it.

maybe they're the type that take a few years to flower? not something i've really looked into, i just remember liking them when i was little and mum warning me away :P

Maybe Jenny, fascinating arent they, as long as we dont eat them, lol.

yes, we shall have to try very hard not to :P

;-)

I've just been googling them and one source said that they can take up to seven years to flower from seed (a bit like bluebells i think), not sure what its like with a bulb, but apparently starch from the plants was used on edwardian ruff collars... so theres a fun fact for the day :P

Thanks for the info Jenny, very interesting. 6 years to go then before mine flower, lol.

well, hopefully not that long, if you planted bulbs it hopefully speeded up the process... so i shall keep my fingers crossed for you :P