(In Minnesota, we say cooler and drier and mean less humidity - the inch plus of rain has nothing to do with the drier part! Likewise, I would describe this summer as extremely hot and dry - which has nothing to do with the very, very humid conditions each and every day. Everyone here would know exactly what I'm talking about.) :)
Yesterday it was hot and super windy. I noticed that the ornamental grasses were really pretty blowing in all that wind. So went out and took a video. Here's the good news - my voice actually sounded like me - this is old-hat now! LOL The bad news is there was so much wind noise you can only hear about half of what I was saying. Also found out my camera shuts off after 3 minutes. I was standing out there talking away for at least 5 minutes AFTER it had shut off.
Today: plants are thinking about next year already. Here's a collection of berries and seed pods in the garden today.
Solomon's Seal
false Solomon's Seal
Jack-in-the-pulpit(yes, Kobie & Tess, please do explain why it's laying on the ground instead of standing up???)
(oh, and look at some of the ZILLIONS of acorns that have fallen this year - do you think maybe we're going to have a horrible winter??)
The cool part of this photo is that you have to have both female and male plants to get seed heads or berries. I adore the bright red color - and the fact that I'll probably have some baby plants next spring!
false indigoI love how these rattle in the wind.
Has anyone had any luck growing plants from these seeds? I have several people who would like seeds, but people who have taken them in the past have had no luck with the seeds growing.
13 comments:
We must have gotten your weather today it is very warm almost 90 today and it is also windy. I hope we aren't going to have a bad winter. I love the snow from thr inside looking out but since I have to drive in it I don't like it.
Cool pictures of all your seeds and berries.
We had jack in the pulpit at our old house. It is a cool plant. Another plant we had and I miss and should grow here is Lily of the Valley.
It was beautiful yesterday, wasn't it?
I like your explanation of the weather for non-Minnesotans we forget what these things mean to the rest of the world. :)
Beautiful pictures, Kris. I've never been to Minnesota. Through your blog, I've experience spring and summer -- I know I'm going to love fall and winter as well! -- Well, winter will be interesting to say the least. What DOES a gardener in Minn. do in the winter?
The blue berries on that Solomon's Seal are very pretty!
Karen - this gardener goes for walks on the lake with her dogs, snowshoes, reads tons of books, and all of the things that non-gardening people do throughout the year - like cleaning house etc. lol She also does a lot of shoveling and if she's very, very lucky takes a nice vacation somewhere. I actually like winter - I just wish it was a little shorter.
Yes, the less humid, lower temps of early autumn are welcome here, too. In the heat and humidity of August, I have no desire to do any heavy lifting in my garden. But now I'm ready to shovel and move rock around.
Now if only this season would last a little longer.
Okay, can I ask probably the stupidest question you've ever heard? Why are some of them false and some of them real? I mean,why not give them a name of their own instead of calling them a false something else? I guess we'd have to hunt down the botanist who first named them, but I seriously think they'd rather have a name all of their own. It's a self-esteem thing, don't you think?
I have so enjoyed your garden this summer and am really looking forward to fall as well.
I am going to go back over your posts as I plan my garden planting for next spring and use many of you ideas. Thanks so much!
Tristi, I knew that Native Americans and settlers used the plant as a blue dye, but I wasn't sure why the plant had "false" in its name. I found this on Wikipedia:
The common name "blue false indigo" is derived from it being used as a substitute for the superior dye producing plant, namely Indigofera tinctoria.
LOL Tristi! Peter just gave you a good explanation for the false indigo. The Solomon's Seal and SS with image issues - I'm not sure. Maybe they were mistaken for each other and thus earned their names? I agree - hardly seems fair to that runner-up plant! :)
Sandra - thank you - that's a lovely compliment!!
Well, I, for one, wouldn't mind hearing you yak away for 8 minutes!
Thanks for posting the false Solomon's Seal. I was just out in the woods looking at those berries and trying to remember what that plant was.
Hi Kris,
Loved seeing all your photos and watching your video with your estate finds. It was so nice to hear your voice. It makes you seem more "real", so perhaps I'll take the plunge and do a video one day too.
xo
Kris - I tagged you for a fun little meme.
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