“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.
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