Dormancy in winter

Posted by Violet Snow Jan 28, 2007

(See "Life Cycles of Plants" and "Wild Edibles and Life Cycle".)

Plants adapted to live in cold climates require a period of rest, and seeds of some plants may need to be frozen for a time before they will germinate.

I think of dormant plants as being more or less asleep. (Think of the French verb dormir, meaning “to sleep”, or the Latin root that gives us the word “dormitory”.) Even annuals are not completely dead, since the seeds contain the vital energy that will burst forth again in spring.

When we humans sleep, we dream, giving our subconscious minds (what I think of us the emotional underground) time to process and rearrange our understandings. I see dormancy as a phase for the natural world to rearrange as well. The cold kills off weaker members of some plant and animal species, assuring the survival of the strongest individuals and promoting continuation of the species. Many disease microorganisms are killed as well. The top layers of soil are fractured by freezing, changing their structure, which may give different plants opportunities for growth in the coming year.

With my outdoor activities restricted by the cold, I occasionally take a hint from nature and do a little extra resting and rearranging myself. Now and then, I try to take a chunk of time — a day, or even a few hours — to meditate, write in my journal, think over issues that get lost in the shuffle, like my purpose in life. The next day, my work is more focused and effective, and I get a lot more done. By March, I hope to be ready to spring into a new phase, along with the plants.