I’ve never seen heavy foggy smoke pouring out of my ear-holes - I feel like I’m gonna combust on the spot – it’s all too much! Apparently the two judges who gave the award were on the verge of virtually passing out – with the quality of the plant material on our stand – “there was no option, we had to give platinum”, were the word’s muttered by the floral endowed judge. And I tell you what dearest Bloggers – Detling is no Chelsea – but getting this award was fabulous – a real green filled boost. It makes everything we’re striving to achieve at Lullingstone so worthwhile.

The plants that stole the show were the fab centrally positioned cactus Notocactus magnificus and Rechsteineria leucotricha both native to Brazil and The hum dinging Dog Pooh Plant – Hoodia gordonii from the Kalahari Desert of Southern Africa. The smell from the Hoodia was so great especially on the sunny Sunday at Detling that visitors to the show passing our stand that thrust their nostrils in the flowers – were pulling all sorts of faces and shrieks. One visitor even checked the soles of their trainers for.....................!!!!! Such an interactive plant!

What a team effort from Jo & Jim (in the photo) – putting the stand together and manning the stand together with Pauline, Iris & Alan. Then there’s the cactus legend Jim Earles who supplied the knock-out judging blow – with his extraordinary spikey wonders and superlative labelling, this sealed the platinum certificate.

I’m signing off for this week now dear bloggers – but before I depart to titivate a slightly winter damaged Tasmania barely 200 yards from my abode – I must thank those of you who came up for a banter at Detling – I’m so glad that someone reads this odd blog of mine!!

Ho Hum Diddly Pomlets - until next time

Enjoy your gardening,
Tom xxx

These two plants couldn’t look more different! And right now at the apexes of these bizarre, dinosaur looking stems are emerging acutely angled flower buds with some opening into the delicate papery flowers. Each flower with its pale brown to slightly dirty yellowish coloration is up to 5 inches across with a delightfully spooky blackish dot in the centre.

And as the temperature last Sunday in the ‘Hot & Spikey’ cactus house rose to approaching 40C, oh boy did these flowers reek of dog faeces! The first time I excitedly approached this stunner in flower I even checked the bottom of my trainers to check I hadn’t trodden in anything unpleasant! This reeking odour can still stink on you & your clothes even after you’ve walked away from the plant! Readers – so interactive!

Why does this plant need to produce such a stink? Well, it relies on carrion flies to pollinate it – they love this nostril tingling smell and are seduced by it. They’ve been swarming to Lullingstone this week – a real carrion buzz of activity! I just hope that we don’t lose visitors as a result. Many more flowers to come!!!

I love it: Whoopee, Whoopee Doo, here’s to the Dog Pooh Plant.

Fact Finding Hoodia gordonii footnote: The use of Hoodia gordonii has long been known by the indigenous populations of Southern Africa, who infrequently use these plants for treating indigestion and small infections. However, it is their centuries old use of the meat of the plant to suppress appetite when making long hunting trips in the Namibian Desert that has stimulated the most interest in weight control.