Note 11: Seed pods - forgotten stars of the garden
Seed pods, those fecund parcels holding such promise are an often overlooked attraction of a plant's appeal. Opium poppies (pictured) offer wonderful glaucus capsules that have as much garden value as the flowers themselves and with that beauty not going unnoticed, a particular strain - ‘Giganteum’ offering particularly large seed pods - is available for use in floristry. ‘Hen and Chickens’ is another of these ‘somniferum’ type poppies, the central capsule being surrounded by smaller pods - the chicks.
There are plenty of other plants whose seed pods play an important role in their border attraction.
Honesty (Lunaria annua), that purple springtime member of the crassulaceae that combines so well with tulips, is perhaps better known for its seed heads than its flowers. The papery thin translucent ‘coins’ are wonderful when seen backlit by a low sun.
Love in a mist (Nigella damascena) offers an excellent show at all the stages of its life. The soft filigree foliage in spring is a wonderful sight as it carpets the ground, and later, its flowers in blue, whites, or pink, are incredibly intricate. Just as complex, and my favourite part of their life cycle are the segmented, horned, seed pods that fade to a semi-opaque taupe.
Alliums, are well known for their purple spherical flowers atop tall arrow-straight stems, followed by equally attractive drumstick seed heads that fade to the colour of straw, while remaining attractive in the border for several months. Some gardeners have been known to keep these heads in safe keeping ready to deploy them throughout the border when visitors are expected. In some gardens - the woodland section of the Genus garden in particular - they can be prolific self-seeders making their removal before seed-drop essential. Some of these heads are particularly noteworthy. Allium schubertii has large heads that look like an exploding firework display while Allium cristophii, known as The Star of Persia, has large flowers up to 9 inches across with a metallic sheen offering long lasting seed heads.
Roses are another plant where the seed pods, better known as hips, are an integral part of the plant's attributes. Many of the rambling forms display large panicles of small red or orange hips after flowering while something like Rosa moyesii ‘Geranium’ has large bright red, vase shaped hips. For a most impressive display the ‘rugosas’ are probably the best choice. Their hips, often as large, and as red, as tomatoes, hang in bunches off a large growing rose that makes a fabulous hedge. When it gets out of hand, it can be cut to the ground for new young growth to fill out once again.
If you really want something to catch the attention of your keen gardening friends, grow Rosa pimpinellifolia which has very dark purple, verging on black hips. If still unimpressed try R. micrugosa ‘Alba’. Its tissue-thin petals surrounding a central boss of creamy yellow stamens are followed by amazing bristly hedgehog-like hips. Surely something there for the most experienced and discerning plantsperson.
Just one tip. If growing a rose for its hips don’t dead-head. You’ll end up with no hips at all.
