Wafting seed heads in the sky
Seed explosion
The delicate spokes of a dandelion clock and the seed shells of dried cow parsley bare offer a glimpse into beauty that only unfurls as time passes and the time to leave approaches. Beautiful, simple, imperfect and impermanent, existing only momentarily.
The joy at spotting a dandelion clock and taking a deep breath to find out what time it was, a wonderful childhood pastime. One I can’t ignore on a dog walk even now. The soft balls of fluff seem to call ‘pick me, help me fly’, which of course I dually oblige, hoping desperately that I don’t breathe in at the wrong moment!
And there they go – sometimes its only one o’clock, sometimes the fun lasts till 5 o’clock when the stem is empty and the stalks, with all their tiny seeds like little parachutes dance away on the wind.
And the skeletons of cow parsley, dried and crisp, so fragile to break with the tiniest of snaps. The delicate seed pods, hanging by a thread as thin as paper, the seed just visible within its carrying case. Waiting for a passing animal to crunch it underfoot or be caught by the wind to further disperse and spread further on its journey.
Next season – perfection in full bloom will fall to imperfection and beauty of its own kind when its time to leave.
Charlotte Bellamy Photography
