If the birth of a child is one of life’s highlights, the sprouting of seeds is gratifying in a similar way. In both cases, you are a partner in the creation of life. But what will that child or that seedling turn out to be? There is an ongoing controversy whether nature or nurture plays a more prominent role in personality development.
In other words, is it the genetic makeup of the child (nature) or the way a child is raised (nurture) that determines their character? With plants, the answer to this question is simple. Without the proper conditions for growth, a plant will perform below its capacity. For example, a plant that needs a sunny exposure to flower may never bloom if planted in the shade.
Or take a plant that needs a cold winter in order to bloom in the spring: If you plant it in a warm winter climate, it could give plenty of vibrant green growth throughout its life, but never flower. It is especially pleasing to see plants self-sow in your garden since it means you have provided optimum conditions for growth and the nature or genetic potential of the seedling in question can be fully expressed as it develops into a mature plant. Seeds that sprout on their own might be dispersed from parent specimens you personally planted or from seeds blown in by the wind or deposited by a bird.
About a year and a half ago, I saw a seedling of a butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii) begin to grow in my front yard and it has already reached four feet in height. It is located on one s.