Dixie Cups & Acorns

Valley Oak Acorn Sprouting

Sonoma County, California

March 8, 2010

by Dawn NicDarrah

. . . all I need now are Dandelions . . . Dandelions and Dixie Cups remind me of my childhood when my Grandfather was alive . . . I used to collect Dandelions and place them Dixie cups, leaving them on my Grandfather's dresser so they would be there to greet him when he woke up. That is one memory I will never forget . . .

Every year, my daughter's and I like to collect acorns and do our best to sprout and grown them . . . some we plant in locations where they are most likely to thrive while others we continue to nurture at home. We have nearly a dozen saplings from two years ago growing in various planters inside and outside of the house. This past autumn we collected three varieties of acorns . . . Valley Oak, Interior Oak and one that I believe is a Red Oak. The eldest daughter has moved on to other interests so the youngest and I are the only ones left encouraging the acorns to grow into mighty oaks. Above is our first successfully sprouted acorn of the 2009~2010 cycle.