Where Did They Come From?

One of the mysterious Petunias

Another mysterious Petunia

Where did they come from?

I’ve asked myself this question time and time again.

Three of four months ago I first observed some interesting-looking seedlings emerging in freshly-cleared ground in our front yard. Their appearance intrigued me, and so I let them grow.

It didn’t take long before their species became apparent.  And then my curiousity really piqued.

Where did they come from?

Without question they were Petunias. Yet equally without question their seeds did not come from our place.

Casting my mind back I realised that there were three possible sources, yet each seemed so improbable that I simply couldn’t resolve my feelings of mystery.

Way, way back (I’m talking more than thirty years ago) our next-door neighbours grew beds of these lovely flowers only metres from these newcomers. But was it even remotely possible that the seeds could last so long?

Second: going back about ten years, a friend who lived four or five houses away invariably grew these in her front garden. But again, could the seeds have remained viable all this time?

Third: until two years ago a little old lady who lived half a block away grew these in  her front garden. Conceivably the seeds could last this long, but isn’t that quite a distance for such tiny, fragile specks to blow and settle?

Even now I am raising my eyebrows. I guess this will remain a mystery forever…

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