Today was a glorious day outside, and I suddenly realized that I haven’t taken any pictures of the spring garden. As I walked around, it hit me that the first daffodils have started to fade and the next round aren’t ready to bloom yet. So if i wanted to share some pictures, it had to happen soon.
While I was taking pictures of the spring blooms, the remnants of fall were still all around-the dried flower heads the seeds pods seemed like ghostly reminders of the winter just past. So here are some pictures of the memories of fall.
Peony seed pod-a reminder that those beautiful blooms are just around the corner
Purple coneflower seed pod. The seeds are all gone, either picked and planted or eaten by the birds. I think back to the beautiful butterflies who hovered over the blossoms sipping nectar. Because of them, the coneflowers produced seeds, assuring I would have more plants for the coming summer. I just love the way nature takes care of things.
Tall thimbleweed is such a pretty flower when it’s in bloom. This is the seed head of the thimbleweed. Each seed is surrounded by what looks and feels just like cotton. They will sometimes be blown about by the wind, but mostly are carried by birds who eat the seeds and then poop them out to scatter the flowers. I collect many of the seeds to propagate in my basement.
Another coneflower seed head, which has been completely stripped of its seeds.
Ageratum plants are a late summer must-have to feed the butterflies and bees when most everything else has started to shut down. Its pretty lavender fuzzy blooms create these seeds which have a feathery attachment, allowing the seeds to float on the wind.
These sweet shrub seed pods like like some kind of overwintering insect in a cocoon. I like to leave them on the shrub because I just think they are neat looking.
The browned flowers of the oakleaf hydrangea are almost as pretty to me as the flower at it peak of bloom. I never remove the flower stalks. they are just too pretty.
Solomon’s Seal seeds dangle from the stalk, waiting for a critter to eat it and scatter it, or to just fall to the ground and sprout. I just let me alone, as it can take two or three years to grow them inside from seeds.
