Tall Tales or "Have You Got a Minute?"

Have you got a few minutes?

I have a long introduction before I get to the subject of my post! :-)

First, you need to check out this post by Kate at

Kate Smudges, in earth, paint and life

Her photo is the seedhead of a Clematis tangutica vine.
Hers is a beautiful verse -
A poem by William Butler Yeats entitled, 'The Old Men Admiring Themselves in the Water'.

My comment? Probably absurd, but it's what I thought when I saw her photo! The following lines are my comment and her (generous, tolerant) reply. :-)

"Shady Gardener said, 'That is a gorgeous seedhead. Not to interrupt the wonderful flow of the poem and its appropriateness, does it also look a little like a subject of The Lorax by Dr. Seuss?

"Catch!" calls the Once-ler.
He lets something fall.
"It's a Truffula Seed.
It's the last one of all!
You're in charge of the last of the Truffula Seeds.
And Truffula Trees are what everyone needs.
Plant a new Truffula. Treat it with care.
Give it clean water. And feed it fresh air.
Grow a forest. Protect it from axes that hack.
Then the Lorax and all of his friends
may come back.' "

And Kate's reply?

"I love it, Shady! I'll forever think of Dr. Seuss and Truffala seeds - and await the arrival of Lorax and his friends!!"

Now, you must see why I made this post. Her photo has been in the back of my mind ever since I first saw it. As I am now wending my way through old photos and organizing many of them by subject, I ran across this photo! What do you think, Kate?? ;-)

Truffelas?
(please click on each of these photos to be able to receive full detail!)

Actually the above photo shows the seed head of the Pasque flower, Pulsatilla vulbaris. It blooms in April - May. It's suited to zones 4 - 8, and it likes full sun to partial shade.

Isn't it beautiful?Only partly shady, here!
:-)