Sunday, October 9, 2011

A Few More Flowers and So Many Seeds


There are still a few more flowers blooming in the garden. This is one of the last golden glows shining in the sunlight. Opportunities for nectar and pollen are getting to be few and far between.  A late migrating Monarch butterfly was seen trying to feed on a fallen brown leaf yesterday.


This Sedum sieboldi that is planted on the top of Ed's stone wall is just beginning to bloom. It has always been a late bloomer here.



Another division of the same plant which grows in the garden instead of on top of the wall has not yet begun to open. If these beautiful sunny fall days continue it will get its chance to bloom too.


There is by no means a shortage of seeds in the garden. Some of them are welcome. They will provide food for the birds and other wildlife over the coming winter and plants I love will return again. Some of them are weeds always destined for removal. These seeds are from Grandpa Ott morning glories.    Last year the plants purchased from Select Seeds were gorgeous.  Reported to be the flower that started the Seed Saver Exchange I actually saved seed for Ed to plant.  This spring Ed started some of these seeds in the basement.  I even gave some of these heirloom seeds to friends. It has been my experience that morning glory seeds here are annual. That is when the cold comes the plants and the seeds are dead a  door nail. I was not pleased this spring when hundreds  thousands of morning glory plants popped up all around the area where the Grandpa Otts were planted. They climbed and wound around any plant nearby like nasty little pythons choking the life out of its victim.   I have been pulling them all summer. I'm pulling more now. I'm trying to gather  and get rid of all the seeds I can find, but I know I have not seen the last of Grandpa Ott. To my friends who received these seeds from me as a gift I have to say, " Sorry, I had no idea! "

No comments: