Start Seeds
Putting in the Seed
by Robert Frost
You come to fetch me from my work tonight
When supper’s on the table, and we’ll see
If I can leave off burying the white
Soft petals fallen from the apple tree.
(Soft petals, yes, but not so barren quite,
Mingled with these, smooth bean and wrinkled pea)
And go along with you ere you lose sight
Of what you came for and become like me,
Slave to a springtime passion for the earth.
How Love burns through the Putting in the Seed
On through the watching for that early birth
When, just as the soil tarnishes with weed,
The sturdy seedling with arched body comes
Shouldering its way and shedding the earth crumbs.
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Leaving Seedheads
Leaving seedheads in your garden over the winter provides an excellent food source for birds and animals. To summon the wisdom of Piet Oudolf, creator of the native garden at the Highline in New York City, the days of cutting your plants to the ground are over. While old garden books used to exhort us to leave no dry stalk standing lest it harbor an over-wintering insect, we’ve come to realize that the over-wintering insects are a crucial part of a delicate eco-system. And to quote from a native plants expert’s Facebook page, “You do realize that if you don’t rake the leaves they’re just going to turn into soil. They aren’t going to break into your house and drink your wine or anything.” If you simply can’t stand to have a “messy” garden over the winter, at least leave some seedheads, stalks, and leaves to support those who spend the winter outdoors.
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