Seeds, Seeds, Seeds

spinach

snap peas

sugarsnax carrots (purple)

white beets

red carrots

rainbow carrots

parsnips

Seeds have always held a fascination for me. I remember as a child loving to go to the bulk store the run my hands (and arms) as deep as I could into the bird seed we would eventually buy for our yard. The tactile sensation of thousands of seeds running through your fingers is wonderous, and individually these little pods of life are mystical as well.

I am impressed that each seed family is unique, and within that family, though it is difficult to tell the varieties apart, each seed group can produce such a different plant. Take three seeds that look for all intensive purposes identical, plant them, and you could pull out a red, purple, yellow or orange carrot if you are not careful in keeping your seeds separate.

The fact that life, nutrition and our sustenance can come from such a small spec is impressive. More impressive are those seeds that can live for 20 or 30 years in the ground before they germinate. Or those that require the heat from a fire (forest fire) to start their growth cycle.

Someone told me this week that if all the insects on the earth were to die, humanity would perish quite rapidly. However, if all the humans were to die, nature would thrive. Knowing what little I do about insects and seeds, I believe this statement to be true and consider my personal ignorance (and society's collective ignorance) on both to be quite a shame.

Now back to memorizing seeds!

Annamarie demonstrating how to use a seeder for us to seed rows of carrots and beets in an outside field.