Hilary Bain
If it wasn’t for seeds and plants, we humans, along with all the animals, birds and insects would not be here.
A seed is the beginning and sometimes the ending of a plant’s life. Seeds are the way many plants set up for the next cycle.
It’s a rough world out there if you’re a seed, so the first generous offering from nature is the massive quantity of seeds put out by individual plants year after year, to ensure some of them will survive and go on to grow into a grass, a shrub or a tree.
Before they can grow, if they haven’t been harvested by humans, the seeds must disperse from the mother plant. Dispersal can be from gravity, wind, water, hitchhiking on animals or birds; either on their fur or feather coats, or in their digestive system. All those camphor laurel trees that have taken over the Shire, are spread by bird’s droppings!
If you’re lucky enough to be a gardener or farmer, watching the germination and growth to maturity of fruits and vegetables really is magic; and there’s great satisfaction in the harvesting, and finally the eating of the fruits, vegetables, nuts or grain. It’s truly one of the best feelings!
The Mullum Farmers Market is excited to host another seed saving event with the Byron Hinterland Seed Savers (BHSS) on Friday 5 March, 8–10am.
If you have saved seeds from any of your fruits and vegetables, and would like to share them around, as well as pick up some seed from other gardeners and growers, don’t miss this opportunity.
We’re at the end of summer now, and it’s the time to get your autumn seeds in the ground.
The New Brighton Farmers Market is held every Tuesday 8–11am, and the Mullumbimby Farmers Market is every Friday 7–11am.
