Decorating the Garden

  It is funny how things work in nature.  Most plants flower even if we cannot recognize it due to the fact that we are jaded in our views of what a flower actually is.  The showy blooms that we see in florist's shops or in our gardens are flowers but other plants have tiny, nondescript blooms that look nothing like the aforementioned blooms.  These flowers serve the same purpose as the showy blooms.  They are there to induce pollination and then produce seeds.  We enjoy the beauty of the blooms and a lot of critters benefit from the pollen created by the flower.  Then, there are those plants that, not only create a showy bloom, but also produce an equally showy seed pod. 

  Yesterday as I was hauling firewood, I had to pass by the gardenia bush on the side of the house.  Memories of the gorgeous white blooms and heavenly aroma flitted through my thoughts but as I passed the bush, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the bush was almost as ornate now.  Even though the flowers are long gone, the seed pods were brightly shining in the sunshine.  The pods resembled some elaborate ornaments and are just in time for Christmas.  My gardenia bush has been decorated for the holidays!

  In the next few months, these seed pods will turn dark and become dried.  It is then that they should be harvested and planted.  Either the entire pod can be planted as is or they can be broken open to reveal the tiny seeds held therein. If I was in need of more gardenia bushes, I would definitely be anxious to plant these but, since gardenias are so easily rooted by cuttings, these will probably slip my mind and plant themselves under the bush. Soon, there will be a hedgerow of gardenias between the Little Bayou House and my brother's house over the way.  Not that I am complaining.  I love gardenia bushes whether they are blooming or filled with seed pods.