Sunday, April 01, 2007

Skunk Days


These early spring days when the sun finally rises high enough in the sky to really warm our little valley... these are skunk days here in the garden; the large fritillaries are bursting out of the ground, bringing with them an earthy and musky scent reminiscent of a wet skunk snoozing in the sun. Now not everyone is fond of this aroma, but I rather like it... to me, nothing says spring better than a skunky fritillary. Fritillaria imperialis, at top, is the well-known, widely grown crown imperial. At the bottom is a close relative which is seldom seen: Fritillaria raddeana, which is in such a hurry to bloom that it comes up with its flower buds already showing. It will have light greenish-yellow flowers, which I'll show when it blooms. Oddly, much of the literature claims that the foliage of raddeana doesn't have the skunky smell... well it does, though it's not quite as strong as imperialis. Both of these large frits come from central Asia; I think the most important key to growing them is good drainge, preferably on a hillside or in a raised bed.
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// posted by IBOY @ 11:52 AM
Comments:
Okay, dumb question... do all frittilaries smell at least a little skunky? The reason I ask is that, if they do, that would explain the odd scent I catch here and there in the front yard. (I kept thinking, "Good lord... this can't be me. I showered last night!")
# posted by Blogger Unknown : April 01, 2007
 
Kim... no, only a few... have you checked the street for road kill?
Don
# posted by Blogger IBOY : April 03, 2007
 
lol... nope, can't say that I have. We usually don't see roadkill around the urban wilderness here, although I have walked past many a rank raccoon "back home." :)

That said, we do have a skunk and an opossum that live somewhere within a 3-block radius. I have personally seen both... maybe this week I've just been smelling the former.
# posted by Blogger Unknown : April 03, 2007
 
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