The Monkshood That Could

Four years ago, I walked past a house near my work and noticed a tall, purple flower blooming. Tall, shady and blooms at the end of the summer? I decided then and there that I needed it for my own gardens.

I managed to figure out what it was (Monkshood) and track down a 6" seedling in an end of season sale. I planted it in a place of importance, beside the front steps. I watered it, I fertilized it, and then - oh - I stood on it. The plant withered, and I thought it was a gonner.

The next year, I was happy to see it growing again. Except, sometime around late June, I accidentally grabbed hold of it while weeding and yanked it out of the ground. I planted it back into place right away; but once again, it shrivelled up and disappeared.

The third year (last year), when that monkshood started to grow again, I realized that this is one seriously hardy plant.

However, last year was the year that I had a front porch built onto the house, directly over where the front garden used to be. I dug up the plants to transplant them, but it took over a month for the porch to be built and then the garden to be dug in around it. That poor monkshood sat in an old salad bowl and was ignored all that time. Finally, the new garden was ready, and I planted the much-abused monkshood in a new place of importance, beside the front gate.

Oh, and then I stood on it again.

This year, I was careful. I haven't stood on the monkshood, yanked it out of the ground, or otherwise abused it. And this is what happened:

(psst! The monkshood is the tall purple plant on the left side of the photo.)