I have that great morning buzzy feeling when I jump out of bed. Yep, we're in for a great day: things are going to happen! I can't wait to get stuck into cleaning up the garden. A few rampant plants need trimming back and they're going to get it. No mercy... I'm going to murder them!
My tea has cooled while I'm breakfasting and listening to the morning bird chorus. Yet as I pour another cup, the up-and-at-it buzz turns into a mindcloud... a sense of unease grows...there is no-one else home but I swear I feel the presence of something. What the hell is going on I think as once again I check the doors; they're locked. Downstairs is empty. Peering outside, there's no movement apart from some foliage gently swaying in the light breeze. That's strange...the street is deathly quiet but it should be alive. Where are the early morning workers walking or driving past? Weird! Not good....
The tea tastes insipid; something is bugging me too much to enjoy the morning reviver. I better go check the window once more.
What the hell! That wasn't there before. Where on earth did that come from? It's heading straight for our window!
I'm stunned stupid. Seconds tick by... and then it moved... I swear it moved... it's closer... heading straight at me....
Tearing myself away I know I have to get to the garage... the chainsaw is fuelled and raring to go. That bloody triffid won't get me this time. I carved up his mates just months ago easy as, man. They're no match for cold steel whirring along at 2,000rpm, ripping into their flesh, slicing off limbs and ripping vascular bundles apart, splattering juice and green gunk everywhere. When that chainsaw rips into its stump there is just one huge green mist enveloping everything. Was a tough fight last time: two of the bastards came at us, trying to poison us with their ejectile stingers! I just managed to chop them down; dunno what would have happened if there was more of them. Hard enough to slash two of them...any more and we'd have been done for...headed for that great compost heap in the sky... transplant takeaways!
Grabbing the chainsaw I rush outside hoping to catch it by surprise from behind, but...I can't believe what I see! Hundreds of them, all heading towards our house!
Help! We're done for!
Those triffids must have been breeding secretly in our garden just waiting for the right moment to burst forth and attack all at once. The Earth is doomed. We're being overrun. We'll fight them off as long as we can but this may be our last broadcast....er...blogpost...
Day Of The Triffids is one of our favourite movies. Even though the ending is rather contrived, the original 1962 version with Howard Keel grabs us better than the 1981 BBC TV series.
Now every time we look outside our windows we're reminded of that great suspense film, as it seems we are besieged by many alien plants. They are Furcraea Bedinghausii, a member of the Agavaceae family, monocarpic, sending up a flowering stem 4-5 metres high after a few years. The stem will be covered in hanging flowering bracts, which then grow hundreds of bulbils that will drop and grow into new plants. The front of our house is planted with many of these, and as you can see some mature plants are growing the massive inflorescence. The fact they are all leaning towards us gives them an air of attacking alien life!
We shall survive this season's attack; in fact we'll rather enjoy it. They are such impressive landscape specimens and the neighbours are enjoying the spectacle as much as we are. Our favourite plant for this summer.
What are your favourites? Favourite city, place, activity, person, song, film... whatever? Let's read about them.
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My tea has cooled while I'm breakfasting and listening to the morning bird chorus. Yet as I pour another cup, the up-and-at-it buzz turns into a mindcloud... a sense of unease grows...there is no-one else home but I swear I feel the presence of something. What the hell is going on I think as once again I check the doors; they're locked. Downstairs is empty. Peering outside, there's no movement apart from some foliage gently swaying in the light breeze. That's strange...the street is deathly quiet but it should be alive. Where are the early morning workers walking or driving past? Weird! Not good....
The tea tastes insipid; something is bugging me too much to enjoy the morning reviver. I better go check the window once more.
What the hell! That wasn't there before. Where on earth did that come from? It's heading straight for our window!
I'm stunned stupid. Seconds tick by... and then it moved... I swear it moved... it's closer... heading straight at me....
Tearing myself away I know I have to get to the garage... the chainsaw is fuelled and raring to go. That bloody triffid won't get me this time. I carved up his mates just months ago easy as, man. They're no match for cold steel whirring along at 2,000rpm, ripping into their flesh, slicing off limbs and ripping vascular bundles apart, splattering juice and green gunk everywhere. When that chainsaw rips into its stump there is just one huge green mist enveloping everything. Was a tough fight last time: two of the bastards came at us, trying to poison us with their ejectile stingers! I just managed to chop them down; dunno what would have happened if there was more of them. Hard enough to slash two of them...any more and we'd have been done for...headed for that great compost heap in the sky... transplant takeaways!
Grabbing the chainsaw I rush outside hoping to catch it by surprise from behind, but...I can't believe what I see! Hundreds of them, all heading towards our house!
Help! We're done for!
Those triffids must have been breeding secretly in our garden just waiting for the right moment to burst forth and attack all at once. The Earth is doomed. We're being overrun. We'll fight them off as long as we can but this may be our last broadcast....er...blogpost...
Day Of The Triffids is one of our favourite movies. Even though the ending is rather contrived, the original 1962 version with Howard Keel grabs us better than the 1981 BBC TV series.
Now every time we look outside our windows we're reminded of that great suspense film, as it seems we are besieged by many alien plants. They are Furcraea Bedinghausii, a member of the Agavaceae family, monocarpic, sending up a flowering stem 4-5 metres high after a few years. The stem will be covered in hanging flowering bracts, which then grow hundreds of bulbils that will drop and grow into new plants. The front of our house is planted with many of these, and as you can see some mature plants are growing the massive inflorescence. The fact they are all leaning towards us gives them an air of attacking alien life!
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| Hundreds of these green and lemon blooms will cover the hanging bracts. |
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| Bulbils growing along the bracts. |
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| Last seasons Furcraea in full bloom. |
What are your favourites? Favourite city, place, activity, person, song, film... whatever? Let's read about them.
To join in this week's Magnificent Monday-
1. Paste your name and a link to your "Favourite" article in the Mr Linky tool below.
2. Leave a comment to show you care.
3. It's good etiquette to edit into your article a reference to this article to let your readers know also.
4. Visit each post, leave a comment and share Stumble, Digg, Tweet and Facebook etc so we can all benefit.
19 comments:
scared by a plant lol now if you had said a rabid chihuahua i would've agreed. :)
A
We don't do rabid chihuahua here mate! I chainsawed them ages ago.
Ha, loved this Jim! Not seen the original film but the BBC version fair put the willies up me at the time! Then again I was only 7, so..
Pretty impressive specimens you've got there too.
Ha ha, your garden just sounds more and more impressive!
haha cool Jim! you scared the crap out of me, I kept scrolling down for the answer like i'm reading a suspense thriller novel!
It sounds like an interesting place to be in..
Ahh, the delight of a carefully crafted story of suspense! I loved it! It had it all...bright, shiny day turned suddenly dark and shadowy, and then bloodthirsty humor, finishing with those lovely educational tidbits that I so enjoy. I've been away too long, my friend, and this reminds me to renew my visiting habit to your blog. :)
- Dawn
I love the way you presented this. I watched the clip, I can't imagine watching as a youngen. great post thankyou.
Hi Jools. I couldn't help but blog about these plants in our front garden. Every time Kay and I look outside we refer to our triffids. Glad you liked it.
Hi Natasha, it's pretty impressive at the moment. You can come save us any time you like.
Hiya Pinay, yes, glad you were scared! Have you seen either of the films? Scary stuff.
Hin Alpana, they are a very interesting plant. Native of Mexico, and very impressive when in full flower.
Glad you liked it Dawn. And yes, I wrote it to follow that structure just for fun. Fun, interesting, a wee bit of suspense so the reader is unsure of what on earth is going on, then the revelation. Those plants have become great friends now , our favourite plant in the garden at the moment.
Day of the Triffids is a favourite movie of ours Jan so thought I'd write it up this way to tie the film and what's happening in our garden together. Glad you enjoyed the clip. I think the whole movie is on YouTube but better to hire the DVD and watch it one dark night...alone.
A great blog post, Jim...I loved it all...the suspense, humor, and the info at the end. They certainly are impressive plants!
Brilliantly written Jim. We see these plants when we walk (regularly) through our botanic gardens in Christchurch - they are breath-taking to watch grow, but not much fun when they chase us out of the park!!
Jim,
I was not sure if I was going to be scared for you or burst out laughing...
You are really funny Jim
xoxox
Jessica
I Love your Garden : )
Nice flowers :-)
Didn't have a chance to post this week but I will list my favorite country - Slovenia!
And I have never heard of that movie!
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