The mystery seeds

A friend of the family once told that she had found an envelope with some seeds in it. Nothing was written on the envelope, no one could remember anything about it, and it was impossible to see what seeds they were. But she was too curious to just throw them out, so she planted them in the greenhouse.

It didnt take long before there were sprouts. They grew quite fast. But it was too early to see what kind of plants they were. That would be easier when they became larger. So they were left alone, and they grew and grew. They didnt produce flowers. They just became long green stems with green leaves, that our friend didnt think she had seen before. Eventually they reached the roof of the greenhouse.

Then one day, when our friend was in the greenhouse, she noticed a familiar smell. It came from the mystery plants. Could it really be?... She nibbled some small leaves off one, and chewed on them. Yes, she had guessed it from the smell, it was cress.

In Scandinavia, Western Europe, North America and Australia cress is a popular garnish for sandwiches. People grow it in small trays with cotton. They are often placed on windowsills. The cress is constantly being cut down, so it never grows to more than a few centimeters of height.