Under the snow

Seeding under snow

As snow fell earlier this week, we were finishing the final step in this season’s planting: scattering a mix of seeds in bare patches along the channel banks in the Ladd Arboretum and around the Twiggs Park overlook. It was too dark to take a photo. But next day, one of the patches in the arboretum looked like this.

The moment was just right for seeding. To germinate, most plants native to this area need a period of cold. A light snow covers the seeds so birds don’t eat them, and as it melts, it helps to settle the seeds into the soil.

As Judy wrote later, “It couldn’t have been more perfect. So send some good wishes to those little seeds working their way into the ground for their winter sleep.”

We hope to seed the slope around the Harbert Park overlook later this week, maybe before the rain forecast for Sunday.

— Wendy Pollock