Anne Sandler of Slow Shutter Speed leads the challenge this week asking us to choose photos that represent toughness and an ability to spring back from adversity. After thinking about it all week, I decided to feature seeds. A few years ago I read the book by Thor Hanson, The Triumph of Seeds. Where would we be without them? “In the history of plants, no single event has ensured the protection, dispersal, and establishment of their progeny more than the invention of seeds.” Tough, durable, flexible, and resilient to many of earths climates and calamities, the plants we live with and use as food start from some form of seed.
From my collection of evergreen cones we see where the “naked seeds” of conifers develop, mature and drop onto the forest floor. Conifer seeds often are consumed by birds and other critters, and then dispersed in their droppings. On the right, a progeny of the mother tree grows at her roots.
“Dandelion fluff…helps seeds ride the winds in a delicate spindle tufted with lint – symmetrical, flexible, and perfectly spaced for maximum drift.” You have probably experienced the wonder of blowing dandelion or milkweed seeds into the air and watching the tiny parasols float away on the wind.
“Seeds endure…some species persist in the soil for decades…Dormancy sets seed plants apart from nearly all other life forms…manipulation of dormant seeds paved the way for agriculture and continues to determine the fate of nations.”
Our backyard Holly tree provides plenty of protection for birds visiting the feeders. It also produces a bumper crop of berries every year. In late spring, when the Cedar Waxwings return during migration, they strip off the remaining ripe berries. While cleaning my garden beds, I remove many little holly starts and I’m sure there are an abundance of them growing throughout the region.
Lindy Low LeCoq 