In the Garden ~ Saving Seeds

 

    If you happen to garden a lot like we do one of the expenses you can always expect is the purchase of new seeds. While it can be fun and exciting to look through the online catalog or visit the store where they sell them in bulk, sometimes you want to save the money and save some seeds.  We are not perfect in anyway at saving seeds but we have learned a few tips and tricks over the years.  Ever since our first planting, we have not purchased any new zinnia seeds to sow into our garden.  We only use what we grow and so far it has worked out pretty well for us.

Zinnia Seeds

    Zinnia's I feel like are the easiest seeds to save.  You only have to deal with a little bit of ugly before you can really get down to saving the seeds.  One tip we learned, is to let the flower heads dry on the stalk.  Since learning this we haven't tried another way, such as cutting and then drying.  I will say by doing this we have created some new zinnia colors from where we started.  If you are looking to keep your flowers pure, maybe buy seeds every year, but if you want to create something new, save your seeds and see what sprouts up in the Spring.  The cross pollination during the the growing season, is how we "create" new colors.  Mother Nature is amazing.  We provide the space and nature does the rest.  I love waiting to see what nature will leave us, the next year.

    Mexican Sunflowers are also an easy one to save the seeds from.  The beauty of this one, the flowers bloom in succession so while one is at the end of the life cycle, another one is already blooming and keeping things beautiful.  Once the blooms start they have a pretty long life span, with new blooms and flowers for the whole season.  I also feel like this one spreads the easiest as it starts to loose its seeds.  So watch out if you plant them, catch those seeds early unless you want to find these sunflowers in locations you did not plan.  We sure have and sometimes roll with it while others we move to a new location.  The Mexican Sunflower seeds are small and easily moved by the wind, which makes them able to move to a new location with ease.  They are pretty hardy as well, since we have taken some up and replanted, or they have grown in not the best location.  

    The cone flowers we have planted in the garden, we do not typically save the seeds; rather they mange to spread on their own.  For example, if you want to grow some in a new area, you could start from seeds at the end of the season or wait until the time is right to split the plant and move to a new location.  We started out with three plants, and now have probably around ten.  I think next year, I'm going to move some to another area in the yard away from where the main garden is located to see how they grow.

    Regular sunflowers, are also pretty easy to save the seeds from.  We typically let the heads die on the stalk, cut and then dry them out to save the seeds.  This is a longer process, but makes it so the birds do not eat all of your seeds before you get them.  After all what bird is not looking for free food.  Each year I plan to take pictures of the heads as they bloom, so that I can match their seeds for saving.  While I did manage to do that, I forgot to "attach" them to the stalk so I can know which one goes with which.  After they lose their petals, its a challenge to determine the color.  The only reason why I would want to know what color goes with what head is if I planned to sell the seeds.  Right now it's not that important to me, since I just mix up my planting for the spring anyway.  

    These are just a few of the flowers we have growing that make seeds to replant for the spring months, or try again now for early fall color.  Try saving your seeds and share with friends and family all that you grow.