Dried Seedheads & Pods
The Gardener|July/August 2024
Autumn and winter are the best times to see what flowers produce the best seedheads that can be left on the plants to feed the birds and bugs and for harvesting for dried arrangements.
Wendy Moulton
Dried Seedheads & Pods

It makes sense to use what you can from your garden in your home like we cut fresh flowers for a vase. Seedheads can be very architectural and dried out for use in arrangements when fresh flowers are limited in the garden. Many iconic shapes are well known and sought after by flower arrangers that we can grow in our gardens and reap the benefits of their winter look. Some can even be dyed or painted for an extra modern look. These are my favourite dozen:

Poppies

Poppies of the oriental kind make the most sculptural dried pods with their bulbous round shape with a frilly hat on the top. You have to catch them before the thousands of tiny seeds escape. After flowering cut them down and tie them together to hang in a dry place to dry out in about 2 weeks. You can also leave them on the plants to dry out, but you may have to fight the birds.

Nigella

Nigella seed pods are puffy balls with scrappy bits of fringe surrounding them. They range in colour from bright green to purple and make for interesting dried specimens. Tie bunches of these together for an instant arrangement. They look weird enough when closed, but when they burst open to release their black seeds, they are serious inspiration for the next alien movie.

Hydrangeas

The seeds of hydrangeas are tucked beneath the dried petals of the flowers and this is what makes them so special. The colours of the petals as they dry range from lime green to dark burgundy and a host of colours between and they make for excellent dried colour in a vase. Often these are left on the plant in colder areas to protect new shoots through frosty spring.

Lotus

This story is from the July/August 2024 edition of The Gardener.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the July/August 2024 edition of The Gardener.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM THE GARDENERView All
FIRE AND Feathers!
The Gardener

FIRE AND Feathers!

On a dreary winter's day, a screen of fiery and feathery leaves puts up a fight against dullness!

time-read
2 mins  |
July/August 2024
GET THE ladies in!
The Gardener

GET THE ladies in!

At this time of year, early-flowering shrubs vie with each other to get the most attention. We say: Trust those with female names for frills and butterflies. They go the extra mile to flower their hearts out.

time-read
1 min  |
July/August 2024
Vegetable Soups and dumplings
The Gardener

Vegetable Soups and dumplings

Vegetables make the most delicious soups and classic combinations are always a winner.

time-read
4 mins  |
July/August 2024
Yummy sweet potatoes for your good health
The Gardener

Yummy sweet potatoes for your good health

Boiled, baked or braaied, sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) are a delicious and healthy winter comfort food. Just a dollop of butter, a little seasoning and you are good to go.

time-read
3 mins  |
July/August 2024
Pretty and functional
The Gardener

Pretty and functional

If cooking is your main thing, you would probably be more interested in the culinary value of the three herbs and some of their varieties we are describing.

time-read
5 mins  |
July/August 2024
Dried Seedheads & Pods
The Gardener

Dried Seedheads & Pods

Autumn and winter are the best times to see what flowers produce the best seedheads that can be left on the plants to feed the birds and bugs and for harvesting for dried arrangements.

time-read
4 mins  |
July/August 2024
SO MANY FACES and so many choices...
The Gardener

SO MANY FACES and so many choices...

Whoever associated a Cotyledon orbiculata (pig's ear) with the ear of a pig obviously did not know about all the varieties and cultivars this species in the genus Cotyledon has.

time-read
3 mins  |
July/August 2024
COLOURFUL Cold Weather WINNERS!
The Gardener

COLOURFUL Cold Weather WINNERS!

If it comes to a vote, these dependable shrubs will be the top candidates for prime performance in winter and in other seasons...

time-read
5 mins  |
July/August 2024
What makes a garden sustainable?
The Gardener

What makes a garden sustainable?

It is interesting to note that the United Nations defines sustainable development as: “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.

time-read
4 mins  |
July/August 2024
Nurturing NATURE-The Story of Kraal Garden's Transformation
The Gardener

Nurturing NATURE-The Story of Kraal Garden's Transformation

Nestled within Prince Albert's rustic embrace lies a gem that is a testament to the transformative power of human vision and nature's bounty.

time-read
4 mins  |
July/August 2024