I happened to be in the garden as the sun was setting yesterday. While transporting a wheelbarrow of clippings to compost, one clematis on the side of the garden shed caught my eye. The expired blooms on the ‘Guernsey Cream’ were glistening in the last rays of sunlight. How had I never noticed the burnished gold tones of these seed pods? These whirling, wiry delights resemble something out of a Dr. Seuss story.

If you’re unfamiliar with clematis, these are just the center of each bloom, matured into seed pods (the green in the center) with tails attached. I clipped the pods, knowing they’ll be gorgeous in small arrangements, or just standing together in a simple glass. My hope is that they last well in this form, at least through the fall. One sister jokingly suggested they would make fun Christmas decorations. She may have a point.