Good things come to those who wait

Monday, October 29th, 2007

I planted seven Rowan seeds in tiny pots last week before heading for Loch Ness. My beloved found them in a sealed packet mysteriously left on the keys of a hole-in-the-wall cash machine.

I only know they’re Rowan seeds because that was what the packet had written on it, with an accompanying picture of some mature Rowan trees and the Volvo logo superimposed. Presumably the seeds form part of a marketing ploy aimed at persuading us that cars are good for the planet and that if you plant a seed or two, you can use as much petrol as you like instead of walking round the corner to the shops.

But I’m being unduly cynical in this instance; after all, if just ten people were to plant the seeds they obtain from the car manufacturer, and a third of those seeds reach maturity unmolested, then more trees anywhere can never be said by anyone to be anything less than good.

Rowan seeds have to weather the winter outside in the ground or planted in a pot, otherwise they won’t germinate come the spring. Brutal cold actually prepares them. This is why scientists are so concerned for British trees and bushes right now; with global warming many of our native trees and their seeds may not wake up in the springtime if the winter hasn’t been sufficiently… wintry. Hibernation cycles depend on significant temperature differences from one season to the next. And it’s all getting consistently and scarily mild this past decade or so.

It feels strange to plant seeds that won’t show any sign of life for many months, but when they do I suspect they will prove rewarding to watch as they grow. When mature the wood of the Rowan tree can be used in the making of wands and staffs; the berries can be used in wine, or mead. It’s preferable to take branches that have fallen, and a ‘thank you’ and appropriate blessing should be said while harvesting anything from any plant or tree, to the plant or tree directly and to the Goddess for Her bounty (or, for that matter, whichever deity or natural force you believe in). Doing so cultivates—there’s an appropriate word, given the context—responsibility and an awareness that everything is interconnected and co-dependent. Including us. Never take more than you need for a specific purpose.

categories: broomstick stuff, rattle bag