Wildflower season is “past peak” and I’d like to remind you that the glorious, youthful, bright flowers now enter the very important stage of making and dispersing seed. Though my camera is still drawn to brightly colored flowers, I try to point it at the broken stems, brown seed pods, and graying leaves that are present in this phase of life.
The parallel to animals, including – no, especially – humans, is obvious. As we move from the giddy days of courtship to the more staid and serious time of being adults, a few gray hairs appear, some wrinkles become permanent changes to a previously unlined face, and the challenge is to see the beauty that accompanies our own maturity. Of course, I am well beyond that time. Now my face is full of lines and creases, making it scary to use the magnifying side of the mirror. And if the sun shines right, my frizzy, white hair glows like a halo (but I know I’m no angel!). I don’t know about the rest of you, but for me, seeing the beauty in age does not get easier.
The following slideshow celebrates the mature seed-producing plants that were so spectacular just a few weeks ago. Enjoy!
Check out this post on harvesting poppy seeds: