Another Visitor

Today I cut down the indigo and laid it out to dry in the sun. It was not quite hot enough to get it really dry. Sunday is forecast to have more sun and to be warmer so I will leave it out for another day to get it is dry as possible. The flower heads will then be cut off and bundled to hang to dry so the seeds will fall out. I am crossing my fingers that I have a nice crop of seeds! The indigo plot had a visitor that I had to ask to move out before I cut it.

Praying Mantis guarding the indigo. I think she looks like an alien from another planet.

The Indigo blossoms are starting to dry.

I promised pictures of the indigo's progress in my last post. I am so excited that I will get some seed this year. Last year the frost got my first crop of indigo before it went to seed. My husband has been wonderful about helping me get it covered at night and uncovered again in the mornings.

A closeup view of the drying flower heads shows the blossoms close up as they dry and the seed forms in the center.

I plucked off one of the dried flowers to see how far along the seeds have developed.

After rubbing off the dried husk, one tiny indigo seed emerges.

Indigo Seeds--coming soon!

After many days of covering and uncovering my indigo to keep the frost off, I can see the payoff coming. Some of the lovely blossoms have started to close up and dry. Inside, tiny seeds are forming. The honeybees are there to greet me in the morning. I know they are going to be disappointed when this source has dried up but it has been something I have been anxiously awaiting. I will not be able to separate it by color after it is dry. I will have to come up with a better plan for next year.My next post will have pictures to update the progress from blooms to seed.