LadyD Books: A Fruit Tree In Winter

Nectarine Tree Blossoms

“Sometimes our fate resembles a fruit tree in winter. Who would think that those branches would turn green again and blossom, but we hope it, we know it.” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Do you know the parts of a flower?

The bright colors of the petals attract insects or birds that help spread a flower's pollen. Petals also provide a protective covering for the plant's reproductive organs.

The sepals surround and protect the developing blossom before it blooms.

The pistil is the female reproductive structure. Its opening is called the stigma. It contains the ovary where the seeds are fertilized and formed. The tube leading from the stigma to the ovary is called the style.

The stamens are the male reproduction structures. Pollen can be found on the stamen's anthers. The anthers are supported by the filaments.

“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.”

-- Anais Nin

“Faith sees a beautiful blossom in a bulb, a lovely garden in a seed, and a giant oak in an acorn.”

-- William Arthur Ward

“Remember to be gentle with yourself and others. We are all children of chance and none can say why some fields will blossom while others lay brown beneath the August sun. Care for those around you. Look past your differences. Their dreams are no less than yours, their choices no more easily made. And give, give in any way you can, of whatever you posses. To give is to love. To withhold is to wither. Care less for your harvest than for how it is shared and your life will have meaning and your heart will have peace.” -- Kent Nerburn

I think I'll start seedlings with my grandson this weekend for a hands-on activity. Have you grown plants from seed before or propagated from other plants?

Happy Weekend!