The Reproductive Life of Hens and Chicks...

I would think that one might leave that talk of reproduction for the springtime, but...we've had a lot of rain lately so there you are.

I was out to dinner with a good friend about a week ago, and as I was getting into her car to drive to the restaurant, I happened to glance over into my front flowerbed. In the middle of all the hens and chicks (that would be the cute little spiky succulents that are prone to popping up all over Foolsewoode...that also happen to grow very very well in the high desert and under pine trees) there was this rather large, um...

Well...

Let's just say it's reproductively shaped.

I was like, "oh my!" because I'd never seen one of those pop up in the flower bed before.

One would think that I would spend more time out in the garden if that was the case.

(pause to giggle)

It also got me to wondering if this is how this particular plant propagates itself? (Well, that and What the Hell is going on here?!?) I mean, since they're succulents and already flower shaped, they don't usually have flowers, at least not that I've noticed. I promised that I would take a picture of it when it bloomed. Cause' having a reproductive shaped thing in the garden in bloom kind of sounds like something Frida Khalo would paint doesn't it?

Hens and Chicks also happen to have a very very shallow root system, which is why I'm very careful about raking around them when I do the pine needles in the spring...I hate to rip them out because they're so sweet. Well, when I went to check the progress of this rather, um large thing the other day...I guess it was so very large that it kind of toppled over and ripped itself out of the soil, so now I have no idea if it will bloom or not, or if it will be like a century plant and just bloom and the whole thing will die?

While I was inspecting the phalic situation in the flowerbed, I noticed that my other hens and chicks had the start of little flower like things growing out of them too. You can see them there on that bigger one...and by the way? The Hens and Chics are so much bigger this year because of all the rain...

Don't worry, if I have a bunch of these phallic stems/flower things spring up I will photograph them for you...

Mary Mary quite contrary how does your garden grow?

I'm actually kind of having a hard time not picturing exactly what this will look like if there's say...more than 4.


Um, kind of like a sea of perky?

(have a good weekend all...I wanted to let you know that I will be responding to your comments in the comment section as well as in email...it's just that sometimes I don't get your emails with the comments so I can't respond to you...and that bugs me, because I'm so appreciative of each and every comment I get...well, I'm off to um, tend my garden...)

(pause for giggle)