They are so beautiful and hopefully I will have time this week to make a sketch of them.
How did they get to be like that? A few weeks ago I threw out the dried flower arrangement that had been gracing our dining room for over a year, and had chucked the seed heads over one of the beds. I love poppies, and after they have filled a gap, and set seed, I harvest them and stick them in a vase.
Only last Sunday I decided to cut off the heads of this year's crop to harvest the poppy seeds which I use in my baking. The seeds are smaller than the commercially available baker's poppy seeds, and it just gives me so much satisfaction to use whatever is in the garden.
Well it is a Vase on Monday, so I had better get on with something in a vase. The poppy seed heads had been sitting in the taller of the glass vases, and yes I had even kept the stems as the form of the pale straw and green stems added a dramatic composition especially with when the shadows fall against the wall.
That probably doesn't cut the mustard so a little close up of a very pretty glass vase, a present from my Australian sister, from one of her holidays. This vase is a little work of art, as within the blue glass are slices of smaller 'flowers' of glass and the surface is marbled with gold leaf applied before the glass is fully blown out.
Just as somewhere to put them, there are some blooms that I had made with wire. And just my chance it was in here that I had deposition the tiniest of the poppy seed heads.
Later when I have rattled my seed heads empty, I shall scatter the empty ones over the garden, and watch as each day more of the outer casing is etched away, and hopefully I shall be able to harvest more eroded seed heads, and am already planning what to do with them.
A short note about the pie dish that I used this year to lay the seed heads in. It is a stoneware pie dish by the studio potter Simon Eeles. I spoke with him at his exhibition at Ford Abbey when I went with our WI group 'Bloomin Fun' a couple of years ago and fell in love with this piece.
Oh my this is a running arrangement. That glass vase is gorgeous. And I love how you have displayed your big stash of poppies. I wish I still had some. My favorite seed heads.
ReplyDeleteThanks Donna, I hope you have room to grow some next season, as in all its stages in the garden they are so beautiful
DeleteOh this is delightful, Noelle, and such a refreshing change from a more typical vase. The poppyhead skeletons are miniature works of art and your composite arrangement of loosely related pieces is inspiring. The wire workshop produced some wonderrful pieces, so thanks for sharing that expereince as well as today's 'IAVOM' ps thanks for your email - I will try again, but it's very strange
ReplyDeleteThanks Cathy, even if your attempts to have reminders from my blog fail, you know where I am. I post about this and that and not just gardening or flowers as you know. Have a good week.
DeleteFor once, I'm appreciating the work of mollusks! Those seed heads are lovely. I like to use poppy seed heads, both fresh and dried, in arrangements. They add a unique look that is quite pleasing. Eliza
ReplyDeleteIt isn't often that we appreciate molluscs, some of them are quite beautiful and we have a variety, but I wish they kept to decaying matter rather than the fresh stuff.
DeleteOh, I did enjoy your post today Noelle. From finding the lacy poppy seedheads to the seedheads in a bowl and the stems, and then zooming slowly in to your small vase with yet more seedheads. It's a beautiful vase too. So nicely done Noelle!
ReplyDeleteThank you Cathy, I had been a little hesitant to do this, especially since I have been a little absent in recent weeks.
DeleteGreat idea for elements in a vase! The Poppy seedheads are so interesting in all their stages, and that vase, itself, is really lovely. Happy IAVOM!
ReplyDeleteThank you Beth, I love their form.
DeleteI love the skeletonized poppy seedpods, Noelle! I hope you're able to collect even more of them and that you see lots of poppy seedlings next year.
ReplyDeleteI had some seeds from a more dramatic cultivar from a friend a couple of years ago, and they are lurking somewhere in my seed box. I think it is time to root them out and scatter them around.
DeleteLove how much pleasure you have derived from these poppies, Noelle. And I appreciate you've shared with us. The blue vase is a treasure.
ReplyDeleteThank you Susie, my sister has excellent taste, and what a lovely present to receive. It is always on a little shelf in the conservatory.
DeleteI love this, I usually shatter the heads outside to spread the seed. I'd like to enjoy the seeds heads inside as you've done. The pie dish is beautiful, and has me craving some pie crust with cinnamon & sugar on it.
ReplyDelete