When I was driving some time in the past week, I heard an interesting report about how the maple syrup makers in Vermont have changed the designations for grading the quality of their syrup. I don't think I even bought any of the authentic product, so I was not one of the customers who was confused about the quality of the product I was planning to purchase. But the syrup makers are hoping that all the other states that are busily tapping their maple trees will adopt a change that will sort of equalize the evaluation of quality. And Canada too - which according to the reporting on public radio, produces a much bigger quantity than the New England states combined...
I am going today to do a bit of volunteering at the local Botanical Garden - not actually digging, though I'm sure they could use all of that anyone wanted to donate. We will be packaging up some donated plant seeds to offer for sale at the annual Plant show and sale event the first week in May. I should be poking around in various corners right now, looking for seeds I have accumulated to share. I saved some really interesting looking milkweed seeds when they bloomed last summer.
Milkweed: butterflies love it. I think it is the host plant for the Monarch Butterfly, and remember from the class I took at Callaway Gardens that the plant is considered endangered. Loosing ground, literally, to developers and farmers. If there is no milkweed, there will be no place for the Monarchs to lay their eggs and reproduce: so... good-bye, Monarch butterflies.
When the blooms fade, there is a pod-shaped thing, similar to an okra pod, but smaller. When the pod dries out, and cracks open, the seeds, practically weightless, escape to float away on little bits of fluff that are reminiscent of dandelion fuzz. If you catch the pod just as it is cracking open, you can save the seed to grow, or share, or even package up to sell for profit at the Plant Show. Or in the GA Dept. of Ag. Farmer's Market Bulletin, which is what I intended to do. But if I can locate the bag I saved them in, I will take to the Gardens to add to the collected assortment we will be packaging today instead.
I also have some yellow primrose, that could be considered prolific or possibly invasive, depending on your viewpoint and desire for a multiplicity of yellow primrose, given to me by my pen pal in SC. Plus some Philipine lily seeds that are so old they might not germinate. But certainly worth a try.
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