Sleeping life
It is the flowers’ nighttime . . .
In many parts of the world it is winter, and the ground lies cold and hard beneath snow and frost. The sleeping trees are brown and bare. The dry, dead stems of last year’s plants shiver in the cold wind.
But under the snow and in the frozen ground are millions of seeds, underground stems, and roots that will be next summer’s plants. Each seed is a package of life, with a tiny plant and a store of food inside it. On the roots and stems are buds, and each bud is the heart of a sleeping plant. A little warmth, a taste of water, and the plants will awake again.
And down in the ground, or snuggled beneath the snow-covered leaves, summer animals—chipmunks, frogs, ants, spiders —are sleeping, too. Like the plants, the animals are also waiting for warmth and life to come back to the land.
Seasons of Life
Springtime is a green time When seedlings start their growing. Summertime’s a rainbow time When many blooms are blowing. Autumntime’s a brown time When seeds are ripe for sowing; But…
Wake-up time
The winter months slide slowly by. The sun begins to shine a little longer each day. The air grows a little warmer. The snow begins to melt and soak into the ground. The earth grows warm and wet and…
The world turns green
Now the tiny green heads of new plants are poking up from the brown earth and around the patches of snow. The little plants hold out their tiny leaves toward the sun. Their roots push down and spread…
A world full of life
The days grow longer. The air is warm and the ground is filled with water. The new plants are shooting up. They twist and turn and stretch as they grow. They reach for as much sunlight as they can…
