Saving Seeds

Marigold seeds are fairly easy to save.

Saving seeds is one of my favorite fall activities. I save flower seeds from annuals that are easy to collect seeds - marigolds, zinnias, sunflowers.

The easiest way that I know of to save seeds is to allow them to dry naturally on the flowers themselves. Sometimes the birds eat a few, but for the most part, the seed heads still contain quite a bit of seeds. When the pods turn brown and crisp, I collect them by hand. I typically use my Felco pruners and prune off the seed heads, letting the pods fall into a clean bucket. Then I sit on the porch and separate the seeds from the pods by shaking them or picking the seeds out. I place a clean white paper towel on the table while I work. As the seeds fall onto the paper towel, they are easy to seed. I can then pick up the paper towel and gently roll it into a funnel shape and tap the towel so that the seeds fall into the storage container.

Wait until the seeds are dry on the plant...

They shake off easily when dry, or you can remove by hand.

For storage containers, I've used everything from clean, used glass jars such as Mason or Ball jars to old salt and pepper shakers. I've used clean plastic containers too, such as the small containers that bouillon cubes come in; I clean them and remove the labels, and they're fine. As long as everything, from the seeds themselves to the containers, are clean and dry, you should be fine.  Dry is the key here. Any moisture will either cause the seeds to rot, develop mold, or germinate prematurely.  They should be bone dry when saved and kept dry and cool throughout the storage period.

One thing I like to do is to reuse those silica gel packets that are included when you purchase shoes. Those are the little paper packets with warning stickers on them. They are poisonous and harmful if ingested, so keep out of reach of children and pets!  I use them when saving seeds by placing the entire packet in the jar with the seeds.  Don't open up the packet; just slip the little paper packet right in. It absorbs any extra moisture in the container.

I buy plain white labels at the stationery store and use my computer printer to create labels for my seed jars. I include the date, since seeds kept for more than a year are less likely to germinate.  I store my seeds in the basement; some people store them in the refrigerator, garage, or another cool spot.

These are fairly easy seeds to save. I've saved pansy, Echinacea, Gaillardia, "money plant" and Rose of Sharon seeds, too.  Saving seeds is economical, and if you have a lot of garden area to plant, a great idea to save money.  Now's the time to save seeds as you're pulling up the spent annuals in the garden, so take a few moments to try seed saving today.

Gaillardia flower, with seeds

Seed Saving

One of my favorite fall garden tasks is saving seeds. This week's "Organic Gardening with Jeanne" column for RawPeople is all about seed saving.

I learned how to save seeds as a little girl. Our next door neighbor, Mr. Hoffman, was a retired chemistry teacher from Sewanahaka High School. He had grown up near Rottkamp's farm in Elmont (now completely paved over and very New York City-like, but when Mr. Hoffman was a boy it was a big farm).

Mr. Hoffman was like an adopted grandfather to me, and he didn't mind me tagging along in the garden. He'd built his house in Floral Park and was one of the first on the block, so when he bought the land he bought a lot and a half - and he used the half a lot to create a mini farm. When I'd give people my address in Floral Park, they'd frown a bit and then say, "Oh, next to the farm with the corn stalks?" and they'd know exactly where I lived. (After he moved away, the new neighbors used the half a lot to build a garage and expand their house; I understood, but it was hard to see a driveway and slick new garage on that old bit of farm.)

Mr. Hoffman taught me to collect pansy seeds. He had a permanent patch of pansies just outside of his back door. He taught me how to tell when the seeds were dry enough, how to pry open the pod and extract the pepper-sized seed grains.

Today, I love collecting seeds. I collect buckets of marigold seeds. The marigolds in our garden now are all a mixed lot, descended from seeds my father in law planted in his garden in Huntington. Someone posted a comment on this blog asking what variety they are, and at this point I have no idea - they've bred and interbred, midgets and big tall ones, until we have this robust, tough as iron, orange-red type that just reseeds and thrives.

I collect zinnia seeds, sunflower seeds, morning glory, Echinacea and helopsis. I tried collecting Crepe myrtle last year, but somehow they didn't come up, although the Crepe myrtles did reseed in the same bed and now I have a delightful little plant coming up.

Before the rain comes this weekend, I'll start collecting some seeds today.

If you've never collected seeds, it is easy, depending on the plant - and very satisfying to see what you collected in the fall come back in the spring. To me, it gives continuity to the garden, reminding me of the cycles of the seasons.

Seed Starting

I'm back on my kick of writing about seed starting, but probably not what you think! As I write this, we're treated to yet another bout of cool spring rains. I'm happy for the rain; my seeds are all up, and need the moisture. We did get the irrigation system buried yesterday and the new nifty tripod sprinkler going. But I'd rather let Nature water the garden than tax my well any more than it has to be taxed. Outside, directly sown into the garden beds, my radishes, Swiss Chard, spinach, lettuce and broccoli rabe are all sprouting, and the onions and strawberries are thriving.

Seed starting begins so long before harvest that it's easy to forget the time and patience needed for it. First off, you have to plan the garden. That began last November when we carefully sketched out the beds onto graph paper, and I penciled in all my thoughts and dreams of the harvest. Next came the seed catalogs - oh, the seed catalogs! Since hiding my credit cards didn't work, I succumbed to the allure of the glossy catalog pages and bought way too many seeds. But that wasn't enough, so I raided Lowe's, Home Depot, Wal-Mart, K Mart, and the dollar store for more.

Patiently I visited the shelves in the basement and the glass jars full of perennial seeds collected from the beds next to the driveway. I printed calendars to know when to start my seeds, I sterilized my seed trays.

I planted. I waited. I prayed.

And now...they are here.

So much of life is like this. I was writing yesterday to a dear friend, a woman I have known for over 20 years who once harbored dreams of writing. She lamented that since her daughter was born she hasn't had time to put pen to paper and write the wonderful poems she used to write. She feels as if she's lost her gift, although I can tell you that by her emails the gift isn't lost, it is just sleeping until her daughter steps out to college and she has time to remember and awaken it.

I want to tell her that she's planted the right seeds through all the wonderful poems she's written. I have one framed and on the wall of my office. Those kind of seeds never die - creativity merely lies dormant until you awaken it.

I was speaking to a woman from church who wanted to know how I wrote all that I did; where did I get my ideas? How did I find assignments? How did I develop my consulting and writing practice? How could she do this too? I gave her the same strategies I've given to other writers, and she seemed upset, as if I was holding something back. I didn't. It's just that there is no special secret, despite what all the how-to and self help books tell you.

It's all seed starting...life is like seed starting. You plan, you plant the seed of an idea, you water it well, and you pray a lot over it. Then you wait.

I tried to explain this to the lady from church. She wants success now. She wants to know my 'secret' but there isn't any secret. I go to work every day. I put in anywhere from 8 to 12 hours of work a day. I send out query letters for assignments, I write. I do my best. Each action I take is like a little seed of opportunity being planted. I have faith that these seeds will grow into work and some sort of pay check, but I have no guarantee. Every day is like my garden; I step into the office and note what's grown, and what weeds need to be pulled.

You have to be willing to be patient. You have to be willing to plant a seed every day. You have to be willing to tend the garden. Most of all, you need faith in the process that something will flourish.

If it's time...God's time...it slowly unfurls into the perfect little being...or project...or plan.

Creativity is like seed starting. Whatever you dream of doing, it lies within you, waiting for the water and sunlight to encourage it to blossom.

I wish I could encourage everyone to garden. Nature remains the best teacher, and observing her rituals, flowing with her timing, spills over into everything I do.

Seed Sharing

I love giving away seeds from my garden. There's something special in packing up a little envelope of promise and sharing it with a fellow gardener. Today I sent a care package to someone special. I won't say who because she might read my blog! But the seeds in it will grow into beautiful flowers; gaillardia, daisies, Echinacea and more. I picture her garden and I smile, hoping that when the flowers bloom she'll think of me.

My friend Patty planted the seeds that I gave her and tells me the coreopsis is already growing like a weed in the cold frame. This weekend, I planted the rose of sharon that Patty gave me in the back of the perennial garden. I planted it where I can see it from my office once it starts growing.

Gardening gives me the opportunity to share something...I share so much through my writing, but gardening is something special, something more tangible. Through seeds and plants we exchange with friends, we give little parts of ourselves and receive in turn.

Organic Eggs and Vegetable Garden Planning

My neighbors here in Virginia who read my blog are going to think I'm nuts for posting this picture, but I was so excited when Patty, my friend who owns and runs Shady Acres Farm here in Prospect, gave me two dozen free range eggs! Talk about fresh and organic. This photo shows the beautiful colors of the eggs. She said she got an Aracuna rooster who crossed with some of her regular hens. The results are these beautiful eggs, all shades of green, pink and peach. They are like works of art. The colors are just amazing. The second set of eggs are strangely shaped, small and pointy. She thinks one of her hens crossed with guinea hens that guard the farm and flock. Whatever the unusual love affair produced, it definitely produce delicious eggs. Her hens roam about the farm, free range, and enjoy their days as chickens were meant to do. The guinea hens afford great protection and guard the flock. If predators arrive on the scene, the guineas cluck and chuckle and shoo everyone back into the safety of the coop. Even her goats alert to the sounds from the guineas, and any cry of distress alerts all the farm critters that a hawk, vulture, fox or other predator is nearby.

We finished the last of the raised vegetable garden beds yesterday, screwing together the frame and laying down the landscape fabric. I hauled wheel barrow after wheel barrow of cow manure from the major pile the Hertzlers contributed, and then John and I both hauled more compost into the beds. I think I ran wheel barrows back and forth for two hours. Talk about tired last night. I dropped off to sleep around 9 amd slept like a rock until Shadow and Pierre work me up around 6 for breakfast. It was so beautiful yesterday, I worked outside in just my t shirt and jeans. My workboots got all muddy and my heavy work gloves too. The sunshine was warm, the air smelled soft and of good earth, and a breeze stirred the pines.

Someone asked me how to plan a vegetable garden. One of the tricks I learned along the way, this one from my old neighbor in Floral Park, Mr. Hoffman, was companion planting. Mr. Hoffman was a retired high school chemistry teacher, but more importantly, he was of the Rottkamp family, one of the respected old farming families that used to farm Long Island, and he was like my adopted grandfather. I used to hop over the hedge separating our properties and as a little girl, I tagged along at his heels as he worked his backyard farm. When he'd purchased the land in the 1940's, he'd bought his house lot and extra for a mini farm. It was an oddity in Floral Park but I loved it. He grew long rows of sweet corn, spinach, rhubarb, and many other vegetables. He taught my how to blanch celery with big boards and why leeks are hard to grow. When he'd plan his garden, he showed me that planting marigolds keeps away many bugs, and basil and tomatoes together not only taste great, but also work as natural insect repellants. This is organic gardening at its finest, using plants to ward off plants that trouble other plants. Marigolds saved the day for us here in Virginia last summer when my tomato plants were attacked by those hideous green tomato hornworms. Ugly, nasty things, but as soon as the marigolds went around the tomatoes they all skeedaddled back to wherever they come from.

Enjoy your day today! This is the last warm day for a bit, and tomorrow we are expecting more winter slush and rain, so I'll be heading out to deadhead and clean up the perennial garden.

Farm Day

Busy day on tap today, so short post. Spent the morning updating my articles on eHow. I'm really enjoying writing for them, and I hope you'll stop by and check out the latest.

This afternoon, my neighbor Patty and I are going to see her friend's farm. I am so looking forward to time spent with friends! Then if time permits, this weekend the first of the seeds get planted. I have to consult my handy-dandy spreadsheet to find out when seed starting times are, but I know I can start the crepe myrtle and hibiscus seeds soon. I saved them myself, so that's even more exciting. And my Parks order DID arrive - still without the November order - so time to add those seeds to the list of what to plant. Peppers, watermelon, cantaloupe and about a dozen herbs came yesterday. I look at them seed packets and smile. Spring is just around the corner!

Fall Harvest

Well, my last post was prophetic...we not only received the remnants of Hurricane Fay, but we were treated to Tropical Storm Hannah on Saturday. Four to six inches of rain fell within twelve hours. The National Weather Services posted a flash flood watch over our area, which meant nothing to this city kid until we walked Shadow that night and saw signs down the road that said our road was closed! They were off to the side, and the sun was out and the road clear, so we walked the two miles to the creek. It's a little spot on the road where two forks of a brisk creek meet, converge under the roadway, and exit the other side. The flooding that must have occured was evident. Huge trunks and branches of trees had been pushed up and over the road bed, weeds were flattened, and the water swirled with angry, strong currents. The creek must have risen a good five to ten feet to make it up over the roadway. We hiked back to our own little stream, Clearwater Creek, and that had flooded its banks too. Stones as large as softballs were hurled downstream while we watched. I have new respect for storms and flash flood watches. I am learning so much. This is stuff that you don't learn while navigating the wilds of Manhattan.

I spent the rainy day going through all the seeds I've been collecting. Now I have huge jars of echinacea, white and yellow daisies, coreopsis tinctura, dianthus, and gaillardia. Next year we should be able to plant flowers everywhere!

We harvested all the sunflowers last week, and they are now hanging up to dry out in the garage and on the porch, but I need to be careful. We had a mouse in the basement (which, thankfully, Pierre got!) but I don't want them attracted to the house. Once the seeds are dry, I'll be sure to quickly compost the rest of the stalks.