PBS Forum

Japanese knotweed is on the noxious weed list in Oregon and probably also in Washington State. It can be killed. The problem is with the use of glyphosate, although other methods work with a little patience. I had some 30 years ago in the Willamette Valley where I lived and I succeeded in eradicating it, as I did with a large clump here on the coast.

But it spreads quickly and getting rid of large amounts is problematic... The polygonums or whatever they're called these days are a large, nasty and diverse genus... I don't even want the an ornamental species in my garden because the genus leaves such a bad odor.

Snoop Dogg and Souleye fans of Cwmbran's Mr Giant Veg

Kevin Fortey, or Mr Giant Veg as he is known to some, has just claimed his seventh Guinness World Record - this time for a potato plant measuring 210cm (6ft 10).

He has some famous fans, with rapper Snoop Dogg, Martha Stewart's gardener Ryan McCallister and Alanis Morrissette's rapper husband Souleye all contacting him for advice on growing supersized vegetables.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-63129983

Flower with 'dead rat' smell blooms in UK garden

Bulbophyllum phalaenopsis is emitting its delightful aroma at the Cambridge University Botanic Garden.

The plant, from Asia, flowers every three to four years but "it's very rare to see it in flower outside its natural habitat", the university garden said.

The "total stinker" is irresistible to carrion flies which pollinate it.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-63416265

So plants that are pollinated by flies in the main don't smell pretty? I have both Scoliopus bigelovii and S. hallii which are clearly pollinated by tiny little flies but I've never detected any odor at all. Where these little flies come from, when I don't see them anywhere else or on other plants, always amazes me. I'm assuming that means at least the flies smell them!

I am an aroid fan, no matter the "scent".....

That said, there are plants beyond number that have neither scent/smell nor copious nectar, for which we know of no specific pollinator, or how/why they do the deed, albeit we humans do not have the senses of invertebrates, or even very many vertebrates (ever smelt the pheromones of a moth?).

Nature is indeed a wonderful thing.

Geophytes flowering in the Atacama desert:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/oct/29/desert-bloomed-in-chile-atacama-driest-place-on-earth

Article does mention "geophytes" but does not specify. Drat!

Every few years, more than 200 species of plants bloom, producing a spectacular carpet of purple, pink and yellow flowers on the desert floor. Many of the species are endemic to the area, including nolanas, huillis, and añañucas.

The article could / should have been better. If they are good enough to say "geophytes" rather than "bulbs" they could / should have been specific.

I had seen the two sentences you posted, CG100, and previously (before posting the link) had done a Google search.  For añañucas it brings me to hotel information. There is also a line of images that look rather like Rhodophiala. Nolanas are an annual. Nothing on huillis.

And my brother said: " I've seen desert blooms in Peru though not in Chile."

He provided a couple of useful links:
https://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/162106018
and
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/27584616454420981/

http://www.chileflora.com/Florachilena/FloraEnglish/HighResPages/EH0255.htm
 

Corpse flower in bloom at Eastern Connecticut State University

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2022/11/01/Connecticut-schools-corpse-flower-blooms-emits-foul-smell/8801667328893/

O.K. I'm confused. Here's a link to an article about growing saffron in Kashmir. Indoors!

https://apnews.com/article/business-india-kashmir-climate-and-environment-ceb197472c72837ff001b001f4939826

However the numerous photos show the entire flower being plucked. And I used to read that the high cost of saffron spice is in part due to the intense, meticulous labor of plucking the stamens from the flowers.

I expect that flowering saffron indoors is similar to forcing bulbs for early spring bloom. But do the corms regenerate sufficiently for repeat production is subsequent years? Or is this a once and done situation. What's your opinion / thoughts / comments.

I think the key here is growing them indoors. I have been thinking about looking for bulbs to trial indoors at my department CEA greenhouses, as well as in my home aquaponics system. I had a couple of glads in ebb and flood LECA beds (3'x4') and in 2 years I had so many corms I had to empty the beds to remove them all. 

In general, I think of gladiolus (and other crocus species) as easier to grow than Crocus sativus. Greenhouse is lighter / brighter situation than the grow racks in the pictures. Which don't even appear to have grow light units.

Just call me curious. And if curiosity killed the cat, remember that satisfaction brought him back.

Growing stuff indoors is something they like to demonstrate these days. It's often shown on the TV - how to produce salad crops in the centre of big cities. I tried and could not grow saffron crocus to flower here - too dark, cold, whatever. From the text of the article it appears growing saffron in the wild is becoming difficult and that has driven them indoors. That would mean they were not flowering the bulbs indoors one year and then letting them recover in the wild, or bringing in new plants from the wild.
There is a town in England "Saffron Walden" famous for growing Saffron in the middle ages. Not a thing now, but seemingly due to the cost of picking the crop, not climate change.

There's all sorts of totally crazy information online. To wit: hydroponic vertical saffron farming, with roots in a nutrient rich water solution rather than soil. Considering that one of the images in that article is of Crocus 'Pickwick' a popular spring flowering hybrid crocus I am not too sanguine about the accuracy of their information.

Saffron has been grown in Pennsylvania by the Pennsylvania Dutch / Mennonites. It was grown somewhat commercially into the 21st century, I believe, but not currently.