Sunday, December 7, 2014

Garden Seeds in December

Most of the time these days, our garden just looks like black on white.  On a rare sunny day it can look like brown on white, but there's really no colour left now.  However, we do have a few quite interesting flower seeds still hanging on.  Here are the four most interesting ones.

Of our several clematis vines, only one is hanging on to its seeds (and the feathers that might carry them away some day).  Just the little brown part at the base is the seed; the white feathers are the 'wings'.

The blooms of this vine have wrapped themselves around an ornamental gate into the garden, and are still thickly hanging there in a cascade of white feathers, although none of several other clematis reveal any remnant seeds.

These unusually-shaped seed pods belong to the Monkshood, a bright royal blue flower that is about the last single flower to bloom in the garden, in early fall, but well after the first frost.  I've learned it's very poisonous!

And these are the plentiful seed pods of our Ninebark shrub in the corner of the garden.  When it's in bloom, this shrub, covered with white blossoms, is the single biggest attraction for butterflies that we have - see this post from June.

Finally, this Ligularia seed head is one that I find just beautiful - both in structure and colour.  There are several clusters of these in the garden, the remnant of the brilliant orangey-yellow blooms in late summer..

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21 comments:

  1. What pretty seed heads! They really add a lot of interest to the winter garden for a while until the snow buries everything. What variety of clematis is that one? I have a Jackmanni but the seed heads are rather plain.

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    1. Pam, this one is a Yellow clematis, Clematis tangutica. It's both quite hardy, grows fast, and is fairly invasive, though it does have those interesting seed heads. We find we're pulling it out of the corner of the garden it's in all the time. It's trying to take over our 8 foot high nine bark shrub! They are several horticultural varieties.

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  2. Nice shots ! It is amazing what still hangs on in the fields this time of year . Thanks for sharing , Have a good day !

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  3. Its nice to see these seeds that hold so much promise of future spring/summer beauty!

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  4. Those are great. I've killed a couple of ligularia, unfortunately.

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  5. To everything there is a season, the brown and white season is not my favorite but you have captured some beauty:)

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  6. The pictures are beautiful, they have so wonderful colors and fine structures. Did you edit the photos? I am really thrilled.

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    1. Yes, I usually edit a bit, always with the goal of making the picture as close as possible to what I actually saw. I use Lightroom.

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  7. Such beautiful photos. The plant looks as though it is longing for winds to lift its wings.

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  8. Proof that there's beauty in a flower long after it's gone. I like that you identified them.

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  9. Some incredible photos of the clematis. Good job.

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  10. Those clematis seeds remind me of little furry dog faces!

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  11. Nature is astonishing isn't it. Great photos!

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  12. Wonderful seed heads. I especially love the clemetis seed heads. They kind of look like wigs.

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  13. The clematis seeds are great. I had never notice them until the past few years. I would like to plant some to see what I would get. I was told the colors would all be different with every seed. Great seed pods that you have shared.

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  14. lovely remnants… now I'm curious to go see what is left of our monks hood flowers, I've not been in the back garden for a few weeks I hope ours have dried as beautifully as yours.

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  15. Even in winter the plants are beautiful

    Mollyxxx

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