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I, however, am quite thankful that Audrey III does give us some time to breathe. Even with some relief from the scent, my eyes remain irritated and the scent seems to follow me. Luckily I have not seen flies hovering around me yet!

J\d|@ {ZFv9ip>=COxsy O$ѱ?XVfIЏc TM]Bj.`\PIn4P vߔ&@K'*{ìx˃ ,ʩK/ѵ "0\um/q)̎d6~Qn18.f݃$_:T><"߮MA\A!̺ۘ^dV"z+Q7wZGwTw?N:^_β-kvDw"绡bߎ»؍j_."DhKJmˉW$D}[`M(G+ ւLeDWcڃNTZ.$njoooN<, +aCe`0߲̫YFӵtF\Q<O+ԮYS)%"DZԹXbKH6 R}m6 ùJॅnVbkS̽w)kK5ϣ׌"2@:83P*$EAbZ(v#c 5ti"\|`x*_,Ch$fg6TXhY3FDNX㒵&E mohֽS KB1>'NI֒z+JiA>Mq0\0*4sqN{ |j':;a1_s_ǬCZ1kXAI2YJ>,N gm$_K!ڙ]"TsD@شKBK!$> b[&qcNM@Io-ޅ\B64f~7o"{L:I*칉`ߗkfx#ټ ݃)<왠Ĉtql1hBowr?(qi?i qNg?~L_zNi ?eWtTJu>DO7ç0BJ` @cQQ=3Q{NôqF蟖O4֢!ټN !Es E_ۑ:xE"D`hF f7H?ImlAd_/Qg{pEX) є]GEAza^K?Զ-7לe:?}Dni@6t4H`RR2϶\x6Y# oD4 -+2.xf`oZ EڼxTCwJxOFƟ]|!8RE“^HT )xBWm=Eu0::d~ ތ 9(5=E ITnՖJXht4}11D.0%t:X&B'׃Eٚ$ ef0Bl[Ǟ!4C,>bZA Sđ5(p4/e,TG"YT%N_Ķ:g@Og b7M; [pPHN4d:H;&|ԞKSg Ios^k*PWd>"Zb"}m%_sS['(ww~s^qKUxjFJMpdC蹖EA:C3PF]iĻnCïy89fM&U]<+A~yob_:Ny 2@YʟQk^XoG\C8z:*ncJ=`'srJB(1,S[sx Ok)d *%A~~h>IlAΐRzq-Xhl8u_S-95%X-T WDt@aѡVVຈ`J 4ПpDM_دJB~z2_Jx%OKFT-z/ذ#HۘBörxq۴ui0UXąz|Ȋ@hnQ/gf*l  u#2,V. ~|k$!@•>'T|g߇gJ\?z󃡄j%+dfX*= pEPEؼDo_655YxNͮ#'w/-6Y?+S5t S|Nᔃ:";N"=jH8Gpswidth="170" class="right"> Shes blooming. Started around 4pm!

Audrey has started opening!

I left the garden this afternoon feeling confident that Audrey III would wait another day until opening. I had talked with some other Amorphophallus titanum experts, and they were pretty certain it would be a few days until she opened. Trusting in their opinions and the cooler weather, I departed, hoping to get some rest.

The previous night fire alarms were sounding in my apartment building throughout the night and I was not able to get any sleep. All night long I listened to alarms sounding followed by a voice saying, This is an announcement. The fire alarm is going off due to water on the roof. You do not need to leave your apartment. Everything is under control. However, every 20 minutes the alarm would start sounding again, followed by instructions not to worry. So, I was looking forward to getting a little rest and preparing myself for a busy Thursday. However, Audrey III had different plans.

About 30 minutes after leaving the garden, I received a call from Martha Kent, a horticulturist at Fairchild, telling me that Audrey III was beginning to open. I then raced back to the garden, and could see Audrey III beginning to open. Im now going to prepare to pollinate her tonight. I think well play some Marvin Gaye and hope that helps to ensure a successful pollination.

Blog 8: May 17: Waiting for a Crowd

Outer surface of the spathe; the deep red color inside is noticeable from the outer surface
Edge of the spathe with red coloring

Weve experienced unusually cool temperatures and wet weather over the past day and I wonder is this environmental change could be affecting Audreys growth rate. She only gained 1.5 inches in height yesterday, which is the smallest increase weve measured to this date. She does seem to be getting a little plumper though and the red color in the spathe is definitely deepening. Maybe Audrey III is also sensing that the cool, rainy weather has also kept visitors away. All Amorphophallus titanum are accustomed to being showered with complements, posing for photo shoots, and receiving media coverage when they bloom, and Audrey III is just waiting for the crowd.

Blog 7: May 16: The Joke is on . . .

Last night I was talking with Craig Allen, Fairchilds previous conservatory manager, to get some advice from the expert who bloomed Fairchilds first Amorphophallus titanum. While talking on the phone, he said, Oh, Im looking at the webcam now. It looks likes Audrey is beginning to open. I instantly screamed into the phone and Craig responded, Gotcha. Im just kidding.

This would not be the only false alarm of the evening.

Yesterday I asked Mary Neustein, a member of Fairchilds education department, to give me a call if she detected any movement in Audrey III, as she was hosting a class in the conservatory last night. At home I could check on Audrey III via the webcam until about 8pm, but once the sunlight fades, so does my ability to check on Audrey III. Around 9 pm last night I received a call from Fairchild while I was talking with my mom. I immediately hung up with my mom in anticipation of some breaking news from Mary. The call was, however, another false alarm. Mary was just calling to let me know that her class went well and that Audrey III had not budged.

I do not know how many more false alarms I can handle!

Blog 6: May 17: Waiting for a Crowd

In this close up of the spathe, you can notice some color change, but there should be more before the bloom actually opens.

Though Audrey III has been progressing rapidly, I think she will wait at least one more night until opening. I would clearly fail miserably as a fortune teller.

After continual observation today, there are a few signs that we might have to wait a little longer for Audrey III to bloom. The spathe is still close to the spadix and should deepen in color more before the final unfurling. The time is approaching though and everyone is looking forward to one of the most unusual and uncommon occurrences in the natural world.

Blog 5: May 15 11am: Could it be tonight?

Stephanie Garland, conservatory assistant, waters Audrey III on May 14th

Audrey III is progressing amazingly fast! I think it might bloom tonight. In the past 4 hours the color of the spathe has changed dramatically, now blushing a deep burgundy.

When Alice bloomed last year, she did not progress so quickly and Im quite surprised by this dramatic change in only a few hours. Im running out now to get the camel hair brush so we can pollinate Audrey III when she opens!

Blog 4 May 15: Time Will Tell

Jennifer Davit inspects Audrey III, May 13 (photo by Jeremy Davit)

The time is approaching! Audrey IIIs growth is slowing down, only increasing 2.5 inches yesterday. This decrease in growth rate is an indicator that she is getting ready to bloom.

You can tell when an Amorphophallus titanum is getting ready to bloom because the growth rate slows down, the inside of the spathe, the bell-shaped part of the bloom, begins turning a deep crimson color, the spadix, or central structure of the bloom, begins to deepen in color, and the bract drops away from the spathe.

However, in previous blooms, not all of the indicators have been present at the time of blooming, making it difficult to predict when exactly Audrey III will bloom.

As someone who likes to plan things in advance, the uncertainty involved in this event is a little unsettling for me. I do think it will be sometime this week, but as for the exact date, I believe only Audrey III knows that.

Blog 3: May12: Amorphophallus Fever

The other day we discussed moving Audrey III to her final location to allow for the public's best viewing opportunity of her dramatic display. During this discussion we talked about the risks of moving her, the threat from raccoons and other wildlife outside, and potential weather related damage. We eventually decided upon her final placement among Dale Chihuly's macchia forest, which has proven to be a safe and secure location. However, all of these potential hazards stayed in the back of my mind and surfaced in one strange dream!

Last night I awoke from a nightmare in which Audrey III had been damaged. The details of this 'dream' are a bit hazy, but I recall someone trying to move Audrey III into another location and in doing so, breaking her bloom in half. The results were catastrophic and accompanied by a flood of prank calls to the Amorphophallus hotline and cruel e-mail messages. Fortunately I woke up to realize that this was only a dream. On the other hand, I think this dream is a clear sign that I am coming down with Amorphophallus fever. Let's hope this sickness does not progress any further!

Blog 2: May 11 : An optical illusion?

It is a good thing Jeff, our computer technician, and I installed the webcam today, because you can practically watch Audrey grow before your eyes.

Audrey III is growing at an incredible rate. Over a 24 hour period she grew 8 inches. This growth rate is incredibly fast, even for an Amorphophallus titanum!

The largest height increase recorded last year in a 24 hour period was 5.5 inches. I would like to predict that this amazing growth rate means she will set a height record for Amorphophallus titanum at Fairchild, but you can never be certain what this plant will do. Luckily the webcam is installed now so we can keep a close eye on Audrey III!

Blog 1: May 10th: Revenge of the Amorphophallus

Fairchilds most infamous celebrity is about to put on another show.

Audrey III, an Amorphophallus titanum, will soon fill the conservatory and surrounding area with an indescribable stench as the plant comes into full bloom.

When we repotted Audrey III on March 15, the corm, which stores energy for the plant and serves as the central growing point of the plant, weighed over 100 pounds, and required 3 people to lift it out of the pot.

At this time I had a suspicion that Audrey III would bloom this year due to the large size of the corm and the fact that she had not bloomed since 2003. My suspicion was confirmed last week, as Audrey III began to swell, a sign that the plant will bloom. The countdown is now on and we predict a bloom sometime in the next few weeks.

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