Seeds Represent Life

​A fellow from the east coast stated he could not wait to visit California because he has never seen a watermelon tree. It struck me funny, however, the truth of the matter is, I am ambivalent or have mixed emotions to his statement because many do not have a clue of how things grow which is a sad commentary much like many thinks of milk coming only from the corner store and give no thought to its derivation.

In a recent episode, I interviewed a lady who studies the wonder and miraculous diversity of seeds and immensely enjoys sharing her knowledge with the world.

Imagine a seed coming to save the day like a superhero! A hero with remarkable powers, a living thing that saves lives!

Each seed contains an embryo plant within, poised to break through and join our world to provide sustenance in a variety of ways. Miraculously, every living plant produces oxygen for clean air and nourishment for every living creature. Plants help keep our soil from erosion and filter the water we drink. Plants are used medicinally, for everyday home life, and a plethora of useful products that make life a blessing.

To put it plainly, life would not be as we know it today, truly, seeds represent life in its strictest sense  in that most plants reproduce other plants, thus a perpetual cycle of life.

Why is it vital for our ecosystem to have a vast variety of plant families on this earth? What if we had only one type of tree in our world? Never mind the watermelon tree!

Suppose there were only one kind of tree, and a destructive insect came in and decimated that tree? It would be an existential threat to the existence of all humanity. But did you know this really happened regionally?

in the mid-1850s in Ireland, the white potato was a main staple of food on the table at the time. However, a fungus infected the potato root and decimated the entire production in the country. Consequently, for many consecutive years the Irish population were so  dependent on this vegetable that millions of people died of starvation. And Millions more migrated to other countries to survive. Incidentally, it reminds me of the movie in 1992 with Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman in the movie “Far and Away” directed by Ron Howard.

What was the lesson learned from this tragedy? Biodiversity is vital! You must have a variety in case if one food is devastated, there would be other foods for sustenance, yes, the seed is a superhero.

Seeds germinate and grow into Providing the major nutritional value that the human family  needs for ongoing healthy life, seed plants are without question the bases of the  human diets around the world. They are the products that we take for granted such as lumber, paper of all kinds, including various fiber-based materials like yarns, threads, an assortment of fabric types, etc. And coloring agents just to name a few examples of plant-based uses as we  experience daily life. As a matter of course, the human family has also utilized a variety of plants decoratively or esthetically and as an inspirational piece of art throughout history.

In the science of  pharmacology, the source of medicine  comes from the four corners of the earth, especially from rain forests. Obviously, plants are essential to human well-being, as many contemporary pharmaceuticals have had their beginnings from secondary plant biochemistry through the process of metabolism of which ancient societies also heavily relied for their everyday curative properties. The significant kinship between human cultures throughout the ages  and plants has clearly progressed in the study of ethnobotany and to this day is rapidly moving forward.

Seed plants are diverse in nature for many purposes like being cultivated for their boundless beauty and their fragrance  , and speaking of which, when I need to rack up some points, try surprising your wife with a dozen red roses.

From a culinary standpoint, many cultures ingest almost a hundred percent vegetarian diet,  and it is fair to say  these societies depend heavily on seed plants for their nutritional requirement.

Think of it, would Asia be what it is today if it were not for the fields of rice? Additionally, Eastern Europe is known for their bounty of wheat, and China to my surprise in my research they dominate the potato industry compared to any other country. The explosion of many crops came to the forefront during the agricultural revolution when human cultures made the change from being hunters such as the indigenous people who were compelled to more of a horticultural and agricultural means of life.

When you enjoy your Cereal in the morning, think of its richness in carbohydrates providing you the boost you need, globally, they provide the main staple in many households  today.

As I am authoring this article  at 4:00 in the morning, I cannot wait  to enjoy my assortment of nuts that will supply me with the necessary  protein, and not to mention topped with three or four creamy providentially delicious palm dates. Starting to salivate!

Regarding cooking, fats come from crushed seeds, as it is known with peanut oil and rapeseed, a vegetable cooking oil like   canola, or oil derived from fruits like olives. And let us not forget to mention, Animal husbandry such as in cattle also demands a tremendous amount of a wide spectrum of  nurturing crops, and again, for the human society to be able to continue to thrive, we must realize there is an indisputable and essential propinquity between plants and humans.

Humans rely on plants for many other reasons other than food like for instance, for beauty and to enhance our taste receptors. For example, flowers such as tulips are farmed for their aesthetic beauty. Quinine is  drawn from the cinchona tree to treat malaria as a modality, to mitigate fever, and to reduce pain. We would not have the melodious string instrument, the  world-renowned Stradivarius violin to enjoy if were not for the various woods that come from the tree.

Other byproducts of seeds are fruits and vegetables providing us with the necessary nutrients, necessary vitamins, and necessary fiber. Glucose or sugar to sweeten beverages and delightful desserts  and many other dishes derived from the monocot sugarcane and from the eudicot sugar beet. Your favorite tea Drink is made from soaking tea leaves, to placate the nervous system try the chamomile flower, the rich aroma of crushed coffee beans, or the powder for a hot cup of cocoa on a chilly day.

How about spices? In fact, here locally, there is an entire subdivision of homes with streets designated with every spice you can think of. Spices come from many parts of the world, 95 percent of saffron comes from the middle east, particularly Iran,  and cloves are native to the Maluku Islands known as  Indonesia, are commonly enjoyed as a spice, cloves are used for flavoring, found in fragrance in all kinds of consumer products, such as in what you use to brush your teeth, cleansers, and in cosmetics as well.

How often do we think of black pepper and vanilla as seeds? How often do we think of herbs that flavor many of our favorite culinary dishes that come from dried leaves and fruit such as the yummy strong smelling red chili pepper? And how often do we think of The oils of flowers and bark that gives us the olfactory scent of perfumes?

Close and dear to my heart that is also part of the human diet, and it would not be complete without mentioning is, "wine" of which I grew up alongside my dad in the world  of viticulture which is even noted in scripture. The process of fermentation of plant-derived glucose or sugars and starches is used to produce a wide range of the heart rejoicing wine beverages that come from all cultures. As with vino, let us not forget the fermentation of carbohydrates that originate also from seeds, and we are talking about the variety of beer that is found around the world.

Seed plants have other  copious uses, including providing lumber as a source for home construction, ethanol fuel that is derived from corn and sugar, and materials to construct what you are sitting on at this moment.

Undeniably, seeds will continue to contribute to grace private and community areas, adding breath taking beauty and serenity to the human family and inspiring painters to capture it on a canvas  and the heartening written word by poets alike.

However, Seeds need the appropriate environment to germinate, and give birth to a new plant as it were, and it does not stop there. Plants need air to breathe just like you and me, they need water, the right climate to thrive, a continued good soil condition, and of course, the right amount of light called photosynthesis, but in humans’ terms we call it the benefit of vitamin D. Hmm, exactly like humans for happiness and well-Being !

Yes, humans can be compared to the miraculous and diversified existence of seeds. Like seeds as already mentioned,  plants cannot realize this thriving potential, however, unless planted in a favorable environment. Similarly, the human spirit embodies an unlimited fabulous growing potential, found  within the human condition.

In biblical history, it was said that through one man's seed all the nations would bless themselves. And it is true, for men carry the inherent seed of their offspring or progeny and  women are the fertile soil for procreation. Of course, and irrefutably,  both men and women are essential but for you and me to flourish, we must take in the correct and necessary spiritual, emotional, and physical nourishment  and in this order for a sense of completeness. Am I being too philosophical? Ask me if I care!