While it might be July, this is the time of year to think about making those stunning bouquets of Lunaria (aka Money Plant, Honesty Plant).Lunaria is a biennial that self sows itself quite nicely in my garden. It's actually one of the very few plants that I already found growing here when we first moved to this property.
In spring Lunaria has lovely purple blooms but now it has dingy brown seed heads.
The seed heads are actually three paper thin, translucent pieces. Only the two outermost layers are dingy in color.
If you gently rub your thumb and forefinger back and forth over the seed head the outer sheath will slide right off, exposing the seeds. There are seeds on both the front and back so make sure you get them all.
After you've removed both outer sides and collected the seeds you are left with a wonderfully luminous pod.
This photo was taken two years ago. It's so simple to just gather up a bunch of dried Lunaria stalks and put them in a vase for a flower arrangement.The reason for my title "Christmas in July"? These arrangements will hold for a long time and look lovely with your holiday decorations.
For a similar post with more information you can visit me at Old Country Gardens and type in Lunaria in the search bar at the top.
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