On The Art Trail with Peter Buwalda : Pollination 101

Green thumbs are in my blood. My my mom and dad love plants. My Oma and Opa started William Dam Seeds in Ontario, shortly after immigrating from Holland after WW2. I got the chance to do some "Plantsplaining" for the Canadian National Agriculture Museum through painting cross sections of flowers such as Serviceberry, Apple and Pear. Pollinators that go in search of sweet nectar, ultimately pick up pollen from the male parts of the flower(anther), then upon visiting another flower, bits of pollen end up in contact with the female parts(stigma). The Plants Stigma will only germinate pollen of its own species, and will inhibit the process of many unrelated species. A suitable pollen grain on the stigma grows a tiny tube, all the way down the style to the ovary. The ovary then develops into a fruit to protect the seed. Life is beautiful!