Going to seed

This time of year, everything is going to seed.

I was walking Mr. Darcy yesterday evening just as the sun was setting, and noticing just how many flowering plants were putting out their seeds.

The seeds of the Canadian thistle were so thick, they were getting trapped in some rose leaves.

This is salsify. The large seed heads look like dandelions on steroids.

A close-up of the seed head reveals why these "clocks" are so efficient at being caught and spread by the wind.

This mechanism spreads not just native seeds, of course, but also invasive seeds for such plants as Canadian thistle. Such is the blessing – and bane – of nature.