Posted on by Donna

In a Vase on Monday – Self-Seeded

“A seed neither fears light nor darkness, but uses both to grow.” 
― Matshona Dhliwayo

It is amazing how many flowers will self-seed if you let them. Just allow the seed heads to form, and then let nature take its course. The wind in cool fall scattering the seeds. The cold winter burying them in snow and watering them with rain. Then as spring arrives, the sun’s warmth gives the seeds a push to grow roots, then stems, leaves and flowers.

And like the seeds in my garden, I too feel reborn each year. Allowing nature to nurture me. Finding new blossoms where I had planted seeds of hope and dreams. Sometimes finding seeds growing where I had no idea there had been any. Nature’s little miracles.

This year I have found so many flowers self-seeded in my small garden. Calendula (in the picture at the top of the post), and Nigella intertwined here with California poppies going to seed.

And the biggest surprise, one gladiola that keeps coming back each summer in an area where harsh winter would normally kill the plant. Its bulb is hunkered down in the soil, with its roots covered by black garden fabric and rocks keeping it protected. The conditions perfect for this one bulb to stay just warm enough to overwinter.

The flower was felled by a recent thunderstorms that battered the top-heavy bloom. So of course I cut it and brought it inside. It makes a beautiful vase.

The other vase I put together is full of self-seeded calendula, nigella, nigella seed heads and a couple of zinnia.

I am hoping these Johnny Jump Ups will self-seed in my garden like their cousin the pansies. And wouldn’t it be great for the nasturtiums, cosmos and zinnias I planted this year to also seed themselves. Hopefully with all the self-seeding in my garden, I will hardly have to plant seeds. Maybe just a few seeds of some dreams I am beginning to form. Letting nature nurture them, coaxing them to flower next spring.

With this week’s lovely vases, I am linking in to the wonderful meme, In A Vase On Monday, at Rambling in the Garden.

All the pictures shared in this post were taken with my Nikon Coolpix or iPhone camera, and manipulated on my iPhone using the apps, Pixlr and Prisma. You can follow my progress with #the100dayproject in my Instagram and Facebook feed.

All original content is copyrighted and the sole property of Donna Donabella @ Gardens Eye View, 2010-2023.  Any reprints or use of content or photos is by permission only.

20 Replies to “In a Vase on Monday – Self-Seeded”

  1. What an amazing glad! My self-seeded (volunteer) cleomes are always more hearty than the nursery stock I buy. There’s one growing amidst a patch of thyme in the vegetable garden this year!

  2. Lovely analogy to connect seeds laying dormant to our own renewal come spring! I love that every spring I have new plants to use in my garden beds. All I have to do is thin them!

  4. I think of pansies as delicate flowers but I’ve been amazed at how often I find tiny plants in the most improbable spots. Self-seeders are such a gift to a gardener (at least as long as they’re not insidious weeds). I’ve found that gladiola bulbs are very resilient, coming back even after I thought I’d managed to dig up the bulbs 😉

  5. My earlier comment froze as it was proceeding so I’m making a second try. Self-seeders are a wonderful gift to the gardener, at least provided they’re not nasty weeds. I haven’t been able to get rid of gladiola bulbs in some areas even when I thought I’d pulled up the bulbs – I think they’re good at procreating underground 😉

    1. I would love my glads to procreate but sadly not in our harsh winter climate. I agree about the weeds. Just self-seeder flowers for me too!

  6. I love self seeded surprises. I would love to see more of everything – nigellas and zinnias especially make a nice vase.

  7. How lovely to have all these self-seeders, and an overwintering gladiolus too. A damaged stem of the latter is the ideal contender for a vase (and I have a gladiolus emerging here, no idea what it it is as any I have intentionally planted never flowered and this could have been loitering for years!!) Hopefully, the seeds of your dreams will germinate and thrive, Donna

  8. A beautiful gladioli Donna! How amazing is that, that it comes back every year! Self-seeders are wonderful not only for the pleasure the flowers bring, but the added surprise in spring. Lovely little vase.

  9. Yes, it is amazing how many plants self-seed and return when not expected. I’ve had the same thing happen with glads…some bulbs I missed when pulling them in the fall. But they survived and bloomed beautifully. It’s a nice surprise. 🙂

  10. Self – seeders are such a welcome gift Donna and never fail to surprise me. I have had calendula and viola appearing by magic this year. That is one determined gladiolus

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