This fellow showed up a couple of years ago. In past years the deer ate it before we got any blooms.
PictureThis plant identifier tells us that it is broad-leaved helleborine, Epipactis helleborine. It is a common woodland orchid whose range extends into Missouri. It is also known as Bastard helleborine and Poor man's lady slipper, both of which I prefer to the common name found in Wikipedia, "weed orchid." This year it bloomed.
Several pieces of the raised beds in the greenhouse rotted over the last few years. The would used was treated, but 18 years of water and humidity take their toll.
So with my friend Shawn here for the Memorial Day weekend and willing to tackle a project, we finally took care of this longstanding issue. Many of the screws could not be backed out so we just broke them off. We had to move some dirt around as well. But the project probably went as well as could be expected. I still have 10 bags of topsoil with which to top up the beds.
