There are I am sure good reasons to take away the decaying heads of flowers. My only defence for leaving flowers to wilt and to seed naturally is that I enjoy the full range of floral expressions. I marvel at the vegetative cycle in all aspects as it continually bursts forth in vibrant bloom all around me and also as it dries and withers. The fecundity of the flower is a yearly show of the life we have to lead in the seasons we are given to enjoy it.
These pictures record August in my garden. They were all taken on a single day to generate a concise record of the flowers still in bloom and those that were drying and dying at that stage of the year. The mix of fresh full bloom and dried near mummified seed pods shows the change of the year as we leave summer and prepare for autumn. Not as many photographs exist of flowers as they fade from the peak of their full bloom. I enjoy broadcasting the lesser seen post blooms where we can appreciate the after flowering process. Only once the bloom has peaked and insects have been attracted do the flowers begin to decline and the previously less prominent seed pods begin to dominate the final production of the flower stem.
After the hot rays of summer have coaxed the colour out of the stems the same sun source seems to dry out the vibrant petals and bleaches the brittle remains. This process can be interpreted as a sad end to once glorious blooms. I do not see the sadness instead I focus on the regeneration. The flowers must dry and wither in order that the new seeds can be filled out. The flowers fade but their blooms will return when the summer comes round again and their seeds are given new life to grow and to flower in further beauty and greater joy.
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©2010 PHH Sykes
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