when Mother Nature takes out her seed spreading bag of tricks…

Milkweed and other plants add a touch of fluff to their seed packet to help them fly away on the wind…

others, like the pokeweed put forth juicy berries that get eaten and spread by the birds and animals who then, well, poop them out elsewhere….

Some, like this dock plant, set seed on tall stalks where they are eaten by birds and other animals or fall to the ground to reseed the area….

Queen Anne’s Lace makes a nice basket to keep seeds in while waiting for birds and other critters to help spread them around…

and even thorny, persnickety plants like thistle can get down right soft and cuddly when it comes to letting their seeds out into the world….

and of course there are all the various kinds of rose hips, a favored food of many birds and animals…

These days, wherever we go, there are signs that Mother Nature is already preparing for next spring and summer….