Starting from seed is not just an economical way to produce edible crops or access unusual plants and specific varieties. Over the years I have found that it is also a good way to really get to know a specific plant type more intimately and I’ve found myself ordering seed from all types of plants just for the experience of watching them germinate and grow.

By following a plant’s lifecycle from start to finish, you can glean little details about what makes that plant tick through direct observation that you would not have otherwise experienced. This sort of information is very useful to your development as a gardener, but it also provides insights that are invaluable should you decide to write about gardening professionally. In fact, I can even imagine applications that would be useful in fiction or science fiction writing.

Grow Write Guild Prompt #22: Using descriptive language, record every stage of one plant’s development from seed to death.

This is a long term project that should follow you through several seasons depending on the plant. Spring is a great time to start! Begin with plants such as lettuce greens that go from seed to producing seed in just a few seasons and work your way up to perennials that can live for a long time. I’ve had a lot of fun trying unusual succulents and houseplants that I have never seen in the seed or seedling stages.

Don’t forget to save the seed that your plant produces!

The Grow Write Guild is a creative writing club for people who love to garden. Everyone is welcome to participate! Click over to the Grow Write Guild FAQ to learn more about it.