We always think of springtime as being a happy time because the coldest part of the year is finally over, the days are longer, the sun is warmer, the blossoms are blooming and we can be outdoors to enjoy it all.
However, it’s also the one season that plenty of us could well do without because, come early spring, millions of folks around the world suffer from mild (that’s me), to monstrous (that’s my poor pal in Vancouver who looked like a squinty-eyed puffer fish this year), allergic reactions from pollen.
When these foreign substances enter more sensitive bodies, they creates an immune system response commonly known as hay fever, (aka seasonal or outdoor allergy or allergic rhinitis), with symptoms ranging from runny noses, watery or itchy eyes, sneezing and headaches, to more serious conditions such as upper respiratory problems.
Some only suffer for a couple of months, whereas others are cursed to cope with it until late fall or even most of the year.
There’s even more bad news for those plagued by pollen. Sadly, spring has statistically the highest suicide rate of the year, which is attributed to a number of possible factors, one of them being exposure to aeroallergens that cause inflammation in the brain, as well as certain chemical reactions, sometimes triggering suicidal behaviour. So if you’re feeling bummed for no particular reason, then perhaps it’s partly because of all the pollen in the air.
I bought a big, beautiful hardcover book off a discount table a couple of years ago titled, Pollen – The Hidden Sexuality of Flowers, by Rob Kesseler and Madeline Harley, which was not only loaded with all kinds of great information, but also wondrous and amazing photos taken by super-sophisticated micro-lensed cameras. The authors dedicated their book to Nehemiah Grew (1641-1712), who wrote The Anatomy of Flowers, Prosecuted with the bare Eye, and with the Microscope in 1682. He considered pollen to be “particles of prolifick virtue,” which is an understatement indeed, because it’s sure a prolific way for plants to propagate.
The English word ‘pollen’ is also the Latin word, which means ‘fine dust or flour,’ and has been uttered since antiquity. Its first use, as a scientific word to describe the male sperm-carrying units of flowering plants, is credited to Carl Linnaeus in his publication, Sponsalia Plantarum (The Betrothals of Plants) in 1747. He defines pollen as, “the dust of vegetables, which will burst when moistened with the appropriate liquid, and propulsively explode a substance which is not discernible by the naked senses.”
The pollen grains themselves are considered among the most beautiful and remarkable in nature, albeit on a teensy-weensy scale, and I highly recommend getting on the Internet to see some photos. These masterpieces of natural architecture and engineering are the extraordinarily structured and elaborate containers for carrying the sperm cells of two major plant groups: flowering plants (angiosperms) and conifers and their relatives, and they come in thousands of ‘pollen types.’
This critical and life-giving mating game called pollination between the plants via air, insects or mammals may be one of nature’s most perfect performances and one we should never take for granted.
Many of us gardeners are becoming much more aware and concerned with the plight of our pollinators, and are taking steps to add or switch plants in our yards to provide their favorite flowering foods, which should also be from spring until late fall.
Providing habitat and housing, both natural and man-made, can also play a critical role in their survival too (as well as a safe water source where they won’t drown). So let’s all do our part to make sure these carriers of those microscopic miracles of nature never end and life goes on!