The Life Cycle of Flowers

 With the farewell of poppies and the greetings of daylilies lining roads here in New England, I’m reminded of how certain flowers, such as daylilies, can make their appearance quite unexpectedly and then vanish almost as quickly. No wonder their name: daylilies.

Fortunately for us (and prbably pollinators) flowers such as poppies or Papavers open more gradually and offer much to marvel at as their delicate, papery petals fade. Round seed pods remaining on their tall stems add much drama to a garden or a vase. And then heir seeds will disburse in the wind or simply by falling from this geometric — From a papery feel to —

Just below a short slide show:

And now alliums of the onion famly:

Before daylilies and poppies— and one I look forward to as spring ephmerals such as trilliums disappear, are one of my favorites: alliums. Here below is a round bud, perfectly enveloped with three “arms.” Its tightly knit petals are on the verge of bursting up to form tthe distinctive allium “ball some purple, some pink or some white. I am reminded of a butterfly chrysalis as it becomes more transparent before the butterfly, such as a monarch breaks away.

And ,as the rains come and it becomes a bit top heavy:

Irises are also a big hit in my garden. I give away many of their tubers since they like to reproduce and expand so readily;