.....seeds

Yogis,
We have officially entered nature’s fifth season. That wonderful space that exists when the sizzling days of summer are dwindling yet the trees remain green and lush. Not too hot…..not too cold. The sounds of crickets fill the night and birds begin to flock. The sun lowers after dinner, but the days still feel long. No longer summer, not quite fall.

The arrival of the fifth season ignites a desire in me to get out and collect seeds……..

As a gardener it is never too early to begin planning for next year’s plantings and this time of year is prime for a productive jump start. The flowers and fruits of this year’s plants are beginning to wilt and are turning their attention to ensuring their survival going forward. Making seeds.

When I first began gardening I was scared to death of seeds. I felt like that way of growing was for those more advance gardeners. You know….the ones who have any idea what they are doing. That wasn’t me. I needed that seedling already grown by the professionals at least a few inches high in a plastic container. But in these last several years I have discovered the magic of seeds.

For one, they are often free! This week I collected seeds from butterfly weed, echinacea and cardinal flower from my yard. A friend traded me some butterfly weed for some of her hibiscus seed pods. Down at the river I snipped off the dried heads of wingstem, sneezeweed and ironweed. Am I sure all of these will grow from the seeds I scatter over these next couple weeks? No. Does that matter? No. Scatter away and see what happens!

I tend to scatter some in the fall, and save some to put out in the spring, giving me a higher possibility of return. I spread them out and put a very light sprinkle of dirt over them to keep them from being blown away and then I wait. They may sprout in the spring……..they may wait a couple of years. Seeds are funny like that. They rest until the perfect time to rise.

Secondly, I can take the seeds from the plants that I know thrive in my garden. I began several years ago with one echinacea that I bought (coneflower) and by spreading their dried seeds every spring and fall I now have a large patch and have them in two other areas in the yard. The largest zinnia flowers with the deepest colors are dried and saved (they like spring planting.)

Seed gathering also connects me in a meaningful way to the past. Our ancestors knew seeds. They gathered, saved, traded and planted. Seeds are life. A form of self-sufficiency which is becoming increasingly critical in these tumultuous times.

Finally, seeds are beautiful. As their own fifth season, when you look closely, they are perfectly formed to do the job for which they are intended. A bundle of pure potential.

Head out and pay attention to the plants that you love, whether in your yard, the park, or the woods. Notice the environment they are growing in. Snip off a couple of seed heads and sprinkle away. Who knows! There is a thrill in discovering something new rising from the earth as nature re-awakens in spring, especially when you had a hand in it.

Spreading seeds,
SARAH