Monday, September 28, 2020

Advice From Owlie - All About Plants

Q: Dear Owlie,

Lately, I’ve been really interested in learning about plants. In fact, my family and I want to start a garden of our own in our backyard! Are there any cool facts about plants that you can teach me? Thank you Owlie!

Sincerely,
Sunflower Power

A: Dear Sunflower Power,

I love the idea of growing a garden in your backyard! While plants may not seem complex, there are a lot of interesting facts about plants that most people might not know. For example, did you know that a plant is made up of five parts? The first part are the roots. Each plant has roots that absorb nutrients from the soil. A plant also has leaves that supply the plant with food through a process called photosynthesis. Yes, even plants need to eat! Next, each plant has a stem. The stem ensures that the plant stands upright and has the important job of delivering any nutrients absorbed by the roots. On top of each stem sometimes sits a flower. However, not all plants have flowers! Flowering plants produce seeds within a fruit and are the reproductive organs of the plant. For a plant to reproduce, insects and birds must first pollinate it. Finally, we have the seeds. When pollinated, seeds produce yummy fruit for humans and animals to enjoy.

For even more information on plants, be sure to check out IEUA’s Plant Factory video on YouTube! Their team shares some really great information about our flowery friends and guides you through the Plant Factory at-home activity available on their website.

Hopefully this information is something you can share with your family while you plant your garden! Also, talk to your family about planting water-wise plants such as lavender, poppies and sage since they’ll survive much better in California’s warm weather and require a lot less water!

 I’ll talk to you all soo(HOO)n!

 Owlie