A Surprise presented itself today...
Unexpected beauty...
Lace... at my doorstep...
All winter lying on the ground... under the snow ... behind the rose hedge...
...where the water drips off the roof...
Beauty beneath our feet...
Physalis alkekengi ... Chinese Lantern... grow two feet high....large papery orange blooms that had been picked in September or October... hung in the house for a few months.....
...somehow found their way tossed into a snowdrift... off the verandah by the side of the house... in December... a muscle shell had accidentally nestled its way into the bundle...
where they were quickly covered with snow till a week ago... a long time
Every lanterns' very fine intricate skeleton held its form and protected a brilliant carmine colored fruit...
I had never seen anything like this before and was completely taken with it.
In the fall the "lanterns" hang in abundance....
but they should be grown away from your main garden as they are a bit invasive...
Beauty... natures ability to endure
14 comments:
What a treasure. Nothing bests nature itself!
I've NEVER seen those, how astonishing. Is the fruit edible? They're almost impossible to believe.
Wow, they look so fragile! I love Chinese Lanterns. I have never seen them like this, isn't nature fasinating? It's wonderful that you found beauty under all that snow.
Awesome! Nature never ceases to blow me away.
Ruth and Anet, I checked up more on the Chinese Lanterns and it appears that the Spanish were known to make a theraputic wine for treats of the bladder...
also the Greek physician Dioscorides, spoke about them being a cure for epilepsy, beneficial as a diuretic, and a treatment for jaundice.
Cool huh?
Seth and Marie, Yes and the various views of its beauty changes through the seasons.
These are so beautfiful. Never heard of them before.
sandy
Very surprising. Are you doing anything to preserve this treasure? Workable fixative or even hair spray? I'm amazed you captured this in a photo - who knew this could happen; and under what circumstance. Life after death; beauty in decay - what a beautiful post. A beautiful situation most people would not see.
Sandy I thought they were too beautiful not to share...
Bill, Thank you for your very thoughtful comment... They gave me pause to stop and think "survival of the fittest"... how a delicate fruit is protected by an equally delicate shroud...
We have tons of these in our garden, too. Adam's taken lots of pictures - his favourites are when they're skeletal, like yours. (http://www.adamgrahamphoto.com/2008/01/08/chinese-lantern-skeleton/)
beautiful! thanks for your comment on my blog as well!
Wow, I've never seem anything like it either: what a find! It's amazingly beautiful, like a heart in filigree. If only the fineness of this could be reproduced in jewelry (my avariciousness peeping through!)
Laura, .. you're right jewelry created in that manner would be so beautiful... nature always has a way of one-upmanship... the best for inspiration though
It's amazing how delicate they are and intact after all that snow.. truly beautiful nature! I have heard of this plant before but never knew they could look like this.. I will have to get one!
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