Day 11: Green Fingers and Fairy Dust

I have never lost the sense of wonder and excitement that is generated when I plant seeds. From opening the packet, to placing the seeds in the earth, the gentle application of water and then the growing sense of anticipation as I watch and wait for the seeds to germinate. There is still a sense of magic as the combination of a little heat and water turns a dry seed into a fragile seedling.
I am still in awe that the infinite variety of flower shapes and structures, the often complex relationship with pollinators or the random events that result in the pollen landing on the right stigma to produce a seed. This is only the halfway-house, next comes the development of the fruit or seedpod and an array of innovative dispersal mechanisms which can vary from the ballistic to autorating flight, or hitching a ride on animal fur or digestive system. Of course, this can all be explained by the application of science, from evolutionary genetics and natural selection to interactions with physical environmental factors. Scientific curiosity can provide me with the hows, whys and wherefores, but I still have a sneaking suspicion that it is fairy dust on the green fingers of the best gardeners that awakens the seed.
I cannot give you the gift of green fingers or fairy dust because, if you still feel the excitement everytime you open a packet of seed, you already have it.