Fall has arrived in western Nevada County with shorter days, cooler temperatures, and a few mild rainstorms. Following California’s dry summer, this change of season takes us on the first step towards spring: germination. The ground around us is flush with seeds that plants have cast off in hope of sewing the next generation. These seeds are often buoyed to their destinations by unwitting couriers like the breeze, ants, birds, tires, and shoelaces. Come the first rains of fall many of these seeds will begin to grow, metabolisms jumpstarted by water, setting roots and offering the sun their first leaves, called cotyledons. These first leaves are very delicate and will be found singly or in pairs, followed shortly by the first “true” leaves characteristic of the mature plant.
This flush of life returning to the landscape brings good tidings from the future, because watching these young plants in the fall offers an idea of what the next spring and summer will bring. As we work towards good stewardship of our places, it is always helpful to learn slowly and mindfully. These plants offer us a chance to do just that.
With a little patience, it is not too hard to learn a plant’s identity just days after germination. Find a patch of any young, green little plants that you don’t know the name of and visit them every couple of weeks, maybe taking photos or notes (or maybe not). You’ll observe their development over the coming months until they flower in the spring and become recognizable in their mature form. Although it takes time (and maybe a little help from a friend, guide book or app), making the effort to observe the world around us offers many riches. With this tool of recognition under your belt, you may begin to notice the year to year rhythms of plant life that color each year.
The fall season offers us space for rest and reflection and this opportunity is also in the landscape around us. The young plants show us where seeds fell and where plants will grow, a snapshot of past and future in shades of green. As we manage the land for the coming spring, let’s always take a few moments to look down and see what the ground has got to say.
Wanna learn more? Check out our Resource Toolkit for Landscape-Scale Management in Western Nevada County!
