Flying Seeds

  After last night's near freeze, I had to uncover all of my little baby plants in the garden.  The raised beds had all been blanketed to prevent the tiny plants from being frost-bitten.  This morning, the bright sunshine filled the garden and warmed things nicely.  As I was pulling the burlap from the tiny broccoli plants, I noticed that the Asclepias (Milkweed) looked amazingly beautiful!  No frost dared to burn that plant!  But Milkweed blooms are red, orange and yellow not white!  This would have been a fun time for some little kids to be visiting the Bayou.  The Milkweed seed pods were bursting open and the seeds were taking flight!

  For any who are not familiar with the Milkweed plant, it is one of those unforgettable plants simply because it is almost like a magnet for butterflies.  As matter of fact, the type that grows in the gardens here is called "Butterfly Milkweed" for that very reason.  Monarch and Painted Lady butterflies seem to flock to the blossoms each fall.  But back to those seeds.  The seeds, themselves are quite the sight to behold.  The actual seed part is nondescript, brown and hard but attached to it is a fluffy, white plume.  When the large seed pod that houses dozens of seeds bursts open, the plume allows the seed to fly.  Today's north wind caught the seed plumes and let them float upon the air.  The seeds were landing far from the parent plant where they will twist and turn until they are buried beneath the soil.  Next spring when the soil warms, the seeds will sprout and my garden will be filled with baby Asclepias plants.  The cycle will start all over again.

  As I watched the seeds take flight, I could only imagine the awe in a child's eyes if they saw the seeds flying.  How fun it would be to explain how this is nature's way of planting a garden.  Seeing things through a child's eyes often opens our eyes to what is around us.  A flying seed is only one of many miracles in the garden....if we would only open our eyes.