Don’t know what it is about this time of the year, but every year ? oh, for the last 15 years or so, the end of August, through the rest of fall, I pick to sew later, seeds. I like collecting and drying peas and beans and tomato seeds for next year’s garden.
I like trying to grow avocados from the pit and I have tried to grow oranges and lemons from seeds of the citrus fruits I bring home from the grocery store.
But, my favorite seed to collect, far and beyond any other seed, is that of the lovely and delicate Morning Glory flower.
By the way, for the last two weeks, I have started my annual rite of Morning Glory seed hoarding.
I collect some, bottle ’em, give them to people to plant their own, throw them about my yard and spill some on the driveway.
I have done this so long, I have the viney plants volunteering every year all over my yard, and even coming out of the cracks in my drive way.
The variety I have has a flower which is a deep, royal purple color that I first purchased from an old nursery in Davison.
The variety was called Grampa Ott, so that is what I got and give.
I like the idea of spreading my seed far and wide. Spreading my seed makes me feel good ? I’m sorta like the Johnny Appleseed of the Morning Glory world. You may now refer to me, your horticultural hero, as Donny MorningGlorySeed.
I think I will start a Twitter handle by that name on-line to spread the love of Morning Glory seeds . . . yeah, that sounds like a groovy idea.
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Did you know that Johnny Appleseed wasn’t just a mythical American character?
Unlike the made-up lumberman Paul Bunyan, Johnny Appleseed was an actual dude! His name was John Chapman and he lived from September 26, 1774 until March 18, 1845.
Thanks to children’s books and Walt Disney like cartoons, our image of him is of this barefooted young man journeying west (from out east) throwing apple seeds out from a gunny sack as he went.
When I went on-line to research him, I discovered he didn’t do that . . . he set up apple tree nurseries in ‘large parts of Pennsylvania, Ontario, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, as well as the northern counties of present-day West Virginia.?
Wow. Didn’t know that. In one of the obits announcing his demise, he was called ‘eccentric.? He died suddenly, and alone.
He never married and as far as any one could tell, never fathered any children.
One source said he was a missionary for the Swedenborgian Church, and by staying ‘pure? while alive, he was saving himself for two brides in the afterlife. (Reckon he never heard of the old cliche, ‘One in the hand is worth two in the bush.?)
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Guess what . . . Apparently ancient South and Central American peoples used certain types of morning glory seeds in various rituals and also to diagnose illnesses and foretell various future events.
From that, it’s a good bet some morning glory seeds are halluncinogenic. And, yep, the seeds have been used as an illicit drug.
Some variety of seeds ‘contain a naturally occurring tryptamine called Lysergic Acid Amide (LSA).?
Here’s some of the super cool effects of ingesting morning glory seeds: cramps, vomiting, nausea, stomach aches and diarrhea. I can see some kid now . . .
‘Dude . . . these seeds are excellent. My skin looks purple, I just puked in the basement and I just soiled my jeans. Want some??
Good times and I will pass.
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Readers respond to Adrenaline Rush
Last week, I had some fun thinking of a name for another Rush child. If I were to father another sibling for sons Shamus and Sean, what would the name be?
I settled on Adrenaline Rush. Since the column was published, I talked to the lads? mom. She too thought it was a good name, adding, ‘Dang, why didn’t we think of that 15 years ago!??
I posted on Facebook my column and added this question: If I were to sire another child what should that child be named?
Facebook readers responded thusly:
Mary Jane … Sparky … Oops … Don 2 … Skippy … Ididna Meenit (For a girl, of course.) In the event of a man child I would suggest, Itayk Itbak.
I guess everyone is a comedian. I did get one answer from my Uncle Jim, ?(Adrenaline Rush) That was your WallyBall name!?
Yes, those were the days, Uncle. Those were the days.
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Your thoughts? Send ’em to me in 140 characters to www.twitter.com/DontRushMeDon