Here's Arthur (photographed last fall):
I explained the name Arthur back in 2015:
I was poking around Mad Magazine because — in the light of dawn — that last post from yesterday, "Meade IM's from the deck," makes it look like Meade is the large avocado plant in the pot, and that made me think of the old Mad Magazine meme from the 1960s, Arthur. Arthur is not well-documented on the web. I see a short reference in the "Running gags and recurring images" section of the Wikipedia article "Recurring features in Mad (magazine)":Anyway, the mission was successful. Arthur had been left outside on the deck, and the temperature was going to drop into the 20s on Saturday night. We left Moab, Utah at 3 a.m. on Friday and got back into Madison at 4 a.m. on Saturday. Arthur came in, and he's back out now, but the mandevilla, gardenia, and Australian Kimberly Queen ferns we brought home yesterday to keep Arthur company and clutter up the deck had to be brought in for the night. But Arthur was not alone, the reed grass and star jasmine stayed out too. Anyway, all the plants are doing fine and ready — with a little heat — to turn the deck into a jungle. Is that the right word?, I ask Meade. "Tropical paradise, I would call it," he says.
Some of the magazine's visual elements are whimsical, frequently appearing in the artwork without context or explanation. Among these are a potted avocado plant named Arthur (reportedly based on art director John Putnam's personal marijuana plant); a domed trashcan wearing an overcoat; a pointing six-fingered hand; the Mad Zeppelin (which more closely resembles an early experimental non-rigid airship); and an emaciated long-beaked creature who went unidentified for decades before being dubbed "Flip the Bird."
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I can't find two good Kimberly ferns for the urns on the front stoop. Urns with ferns. Boston ferns are everywhere but they can't take the heat.
We got great Kimberly ferns at Home Depot last year and went back yesterday and found them. Boston ferns were more conspicuously displayed, but the Kimberly ferns were there.
Great that you name your plants, we do as well. We have a native mesquite that we call skeeter and a cactus that we have had for 30 years and have moved to about 4 locations.
It's over 6 feet high and the last move was pretty interesting, it looked like a mummy wrapped up for the trip.
We got 8 of those ferns, 12 containers of reed grass, one of gardenia, 2 of mandevilla, and 2 of jasmine. The jasmine should climb all over the railing.
Mad artist Al Jaffee, creator of the fold-in and "Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions" is still with us at age 98.
Does Arthur produce fruit? Is the deck sunny? Looks well shaded here.
In the context of the photo the chair seems oddly and artistically placed.
@unknown What's the name of the cactus? I'd name a cactus: Pointy, Stickers, Caca, Tussy, Ty, or Big Greenie.
"... the chair seems oddly and artistically placed."
It was. Everything around here is.
"Does Arthur produce fruit?"
Not yet.
Maybe I should have given him a lady's name.
It really is 7 plants (from 7 seeds), so hopefully they'll get it on and be fruitful and multiply.
You should name one of the plants Xyler. (not!)
Some real info on avocado sex:
"The flowers of avocado trees are perfect, because they have both male and female parts, but both of these parts are not accessible at all times for pollination. The flowers only open for two days. On the first day, the female part opens for two to four hours and during this time, it can receive pollen. On the second day, the male parts of the flower open for a short time to release pollen. Since both parts are not open at the same time, it is very difficult for an avocado flower to pollinate itself. Pollination occurs when the pollen released from one set of flowers is received by the flowers from another tree with their female parts open and ready to receive the pollen. In most instances, bees carry the pollen from a type A tree to a type B tree. Avocados are usually not self-pollinated, because the male and female parts are not open at the same time. In some climates, avocados may self pollinate from the wind. This can happen in the conditions found in south Florida or south Texas, but usually do not occur in California. Generally, your avocado tree is more likely to produce a viable crop if you have a second avocado tree. The other tree should be the type to complement your existing tree. For instance, if you are growing a type A avocado, choose a type B tree to help pollination. Type A avocados include 'Hass,' 'Pinkerton' and 'Gwen.' Avocados that produce type B flowers include 'Fuerte,' 'Bacon' and 'Zutano.' Guatemalan avocados (Persea nubigena var. guatamalensis) like 'Hass,' 'Gwen' and 'Pinkerton' are hardy down to 26 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit, which corresponds to the border of USDA zone 9b and 10a. Avocados like 'Fuerte,' 'Bacon' and 'Zutano' are avocado hybrids and are hardy down to 25 or 26 F, which is USDA zone 9b."
I don't think I've ever seen a flower on Arthur.
The potrzebies are in bloom again.
"Tropical paradise, I would call it," he says.
Sounds that way, yes.
Did you get Star Jasmine? Also known as Confederate Jasmine. I love the scent, it's very close to gardenias and always reminds me of my mother.
I'm not sure what avocado sex is, but I am definitely for it.
Personally, I liked it better when Meade was a large avocado plant.
You'll need a devil's fork out there somewhere as well for a true Mad mag tribute. Maybe Meade can train a hedge into that shape. Something for him to think about...
Paradise in Florida is tropical with no effort. Paradise in Wisconsin is many things, but tropical takes a lot of human effort.
I have a pothos my mom sent me my first week of college. I’ve spent thirty-five years letting that thing get to the brink of death and then yanking it back.
What? no espaliers or Venus Fly Traps?
avocado plant in the potrzebie.
I'm not sure what avocado sex is, but I am definitely for it.
Dont be so sure
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKWTB2fqGDM
Arthur. Such an old school name. Not many of us left. Growing up, we had avocado trees in our backyard. To this day, I still will cut an avocado in half, add salt and eat away. So good.
"It's crackers to slip a rozzer the dropsy in snide"
Don't you have neighbors with a key to your house that could have done that?
Ann & Meade in the conservatory
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMeCHg6yYQ4
Two neighbors have avocado trees One has never had an avocado , the other had so many last year that the weight was breaking branches .
three for five dollars locally...
Arthur, he does as he pleases
All of his life, his master's toys
Deep in his heart, he's just, he's just a boy
Living his life one day at a time
And showing himself a pretty good time
Laughing about the way they want him to be
it's hard to find 2 minute videos that reference
- avocados having sex (:17)
- topographical maps of Utah (:50)
- giving your life for others** (1:26)
**RIP Riley Howell-- you were no potted plant
…So will it be with the resurrection of the dead: What is sown is perishable; it is raised imperishable. It is sown in dishonor*; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power.
*The awful and intolerable indignity of dust to dust."
Growing up, we had avocado trees in our backyard.
When I was an intern and my older kids were little, we lived in a house with three big avocado trees. The one in front was enormous. I would invite the neighbors to carry off bushels of them.
The two in the back were smaller and still produced lots of fruit. The dogs would eat them and poop the stones,. I was always afraid they would get a bowel obstruction but they never did. Weimariners can eat anything.
Generally, your avocado tree is more likely to produce a viable crop if you have a second avocado tree.
A neighbor's tree wprks fine. In another house, I had a single tree but it produced fruit. In California.
I wouldn't discuss guacamole around Arthur. That would be cruel.
tcross,
The potrzebies are in bloom again.
And then add in "Arthur", eh?
The Klefanabulism is getting pretty deep in here.
@Michael K ... our trees were at least 20 feet tall. The screeching scrub jays (I called them blue jays back then) would feast on them too. Miss those days.
Breaking Business News: Avocado prices are soaring. While oil prices are headed back down (down 4% this morning). Hang on to Arthur.
Ann, the cactus has branched into three. Their names are, in order of height,
Prickly Pete, Slippery Sue and Fuzzy Bear. We also have a Sylvester palm named Sylvie and a just planted hermaphrodite Papaya named Papaya Joe. We had another papaya but alas he was a lonely male and did not fruit.
Congratulations on the save. Plants living in pots that come inside during winter become rather like pets, so why not give them a name.
I was quite the Mad Magazine reader at ages 10-12 so of course I recognized the reference right away.
Could it be time to give Arthur a judicious prune and repotting in time for the sunny weather?
It's a ferschlugginer veeblefetzer.
Watch out for the Jasmine. It is a strangler. Our neighbor has jasmine planted along the property line. We realized it was winding around an adjacent small bush/tree, attempting to strangle it in its cradle.
We have an avocado here in the peoples republic of Santa Clara. It is around 50 years old. For the longest time it did not produce fruit, now we hear loud thumps as fruit falls from the tree. Our neighbor across the street, (upwind), has a 40 foot avocado. Hundreds of avocados. He should wear a hard hat in his back yard.
We also have a dwarf lemon tree which provides year round lemons for us and others, and a root stock peach that volunteered when the original tree died of blight.
Our most interesting plant is a bougainvillea that thinks it is a tree. 20 feet tall, it is a thicket in the air above an arbor. It looks like a red dome next to the house. Every January I go up on the roof to cut the tentacles with 1-2 inch thorns that want to overtake the roof. A flock of birds have made it their home. The neighborhood cats come by to see if any want to meet for lunch.
The valley of heart's delight, now known as the home of Google etc. has some of the most fertile land in the world. Until the place was replanted in homes, there were thousands of fruit trees. When the trees flowered, it was amazing.
Be sure to feed Arthur lots of Portzebie! I have planted a few avocado trees. Most of them died horrible deaths. (The puppy, Raider, chomped on the previous one and killed it. He was teething and chewed all the branches off of it.) About five years ago, I planted a fuerte avocado. This year (and it might have something to do with the recent, heavy rains in Southern California) the tree started to produce flowers. From what I understand there are three types of avocado trees: A type, B type and AB type. An A or B type can actually pollinate itself (with help from suitable insects) but if you have a complementary type nearby, it will increase the yield 20%. BTW, I'm no expert, but I suspect that the tree needs to be pollinated by suitable insects. (An indoor tree might have a problem with that.)
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