Gunnera

Wildwood recently wondered how I put the gunnera to bed. Well all three plants are now safely hacked back and tucked in until next year. Each stalk is slashed back the leaf taken off and then everything piled back on top of the plant to protect it from any frosts. That all sound very dainty until I tell you that the leaves can be nearly two metres across, have ferocious spikes on their undersides and the stalks are bigger and hairier than my wrist! The extra shows the middle sized plant - the big boy overhangs the pond and that's what I've been doing too - to the amazement of Fineen.  We inherited these plants and they are magnificent. Every winter they look as though they have died but every spring they leap back into life, literally growing in front of your eyes. There is a dark side though for it is a highly invasive species -a good article here . I try to keep mine under control but they are now pretty enormous. Peak under the leaves and odd things can be glimpsed - like these solid pink fibrous buds. I'm pretending that they are flowers but I have a feeling this is the fruit. Oh, just googled - the flowers found lower down (these) are female, the ones at the top are male and the ones in the middle are bisexual!  Not your normal flower friday!