If you enjoy your current plant varieties, you may want to save the seeds for next year. A healthy garden, both flowers and vegetables, is certainly something to be proud of. Inevitably there will be some plants that you prefer over others, and as luck will have it, some of these plants will be annuals. In my own experience, I have had great luck with some of my garden plants that scatter seeds. With some tips and tricks you can too.
Plants That Scatter Seeds
Many annuals will scatter their own seeds all over the garden, creating over the years a lush garden full of your favorite annuals. Some, however, you may want tocollect and saveto plant again next spring.
The Oswego Tea Plant
My Oswego tea (also called beebalm) has struggled valiantly for the past five years. When we moved to the country, I dug up the plant from my city garden and transplanted it. Some survived, while some didn’t. Four years of summer drought nearly wiped out my crop of Oswego tea.
This year’s flooding didn’t help much either, but the plants in the drier parts of our property are taller and more prolific than ever. I even have double-headed flowers! The flower of this plant is just full of seeds and as the flowers die out for the season, the seeds scatter all over the ground around it.
We even have beebalms growing in the driveway!
Black-Eyed Susans And Echinacea
Rudbeckia hirta (commonly known as Black-eyed Susans) and Echinacea (as well as other members of the daisy family) also scatter their seeds. Once these plants take root in a coveted sunny spot, seeds are scattered everywhere.
What starts as a tiny corner plot of Black-eyed Susans or Echinacea will eventually cover an entire garden space, as well as the driveway, walkways, or lawn surrounding them.
The Return Of The Petunias
There are many similar plants that will help propagate your garden. Some even appear mysteriously in very unusual locations. For instance, my son presented me with a hanging petunia plant several years ago. It suffered greatly, as that was one of our drought summers. Petunias in hanging planters in a drought, even if well-watered, don’t do too well. I avoided petunias the following years.
突然间,今年我在前院的砖石间长出了一大批色彩鲜艳的牵牛花,距离悬挂着它的地方有一段距离。虽然我不喜欢长在砖石间的东西,但这些牵牛花太漂亮了,挖不出来它们长得很好。所以,他们在我的露台上有一个小角落,至少今年是这样。
Nasturtiums And Sunflowers
旱金莲和葵花籽吸引啮齿类动物:尤其是松鼠和花栗鼠,但也有老鼠和鼹鼠。好吧,我明白了,很多人觉得它们很可爱,尤其是花栗鼠。考虑到我们生活在这个国家,这是可以预料的,但他们可能非常贪婪和极具破坏性。
第一年,我种了旱金莲和葵花籽,它们在几个小时内就被挖了出来。我试着在室内种植。当它们长到两英寸高时,我就把它们移植到室外。这些也在几个小时内被挖了出来。那些还在生根的种子,或多或少是完整的,仍然具有食物的吸引力。
It didn’t matter that I had numerous bird feeders scattered around the yard to feed the wildlife. It also didn’t matter that a sunflower in full bloom would produce many more edible seeds than the ones I had planted. These nasturtium and sunflower seeds had to be consumed – immediately. At least according to my resident rodents.
Detracting The Rodents
Not one to give up, I started more seeds indoors. Once they were two-inches tall, I transplanted them outside. However, this time I inserted numerous plastic forks in the soil around them, with the prongs sticking upwards. Nothing like something prickly to keep the rodents away. It worked! Once the plants were matured and growing well, the forks were no longer visible.
My plastic forks have become something of a conversation piece among friends and neighbors. One particular friend jokes every spring about my new crop of plastic forks. It does raise some eyebrows, and it certainly ignites some interesting conversations.
Seed Collection Process
Once you know what flowers and plants are known for scattering their seeds, you can be better prepared for collecting them before those pesky rodents get to them. Some vegetables are also great for seed collection and can keep your home garden hearty, fruitful, and returning every year.
Nasturtiums And Sunflowers
重要的是要记住旱金莲会沿着任何它们能爬的地方蔓延。所以,这些植物很快就会离开塑料叉路障。一旦旱金莲花成熟,它就会形成坚硬的种子,再次吸引啮齿类动物。在啮齿类动物发现之前,马上收集这些种子。在室内用纸巾擦干(不要在棚子或车库,因为它们会继续吸引啮齿动物),然后储存在塑料容器、玻璃罐或密封塑料袋中(这些塑料袋可以年复一年地重复使用)。在春天到来之前,一定要在容器上贴上标签,然后把它们放在安全、黑暗、干燥的地方。
Same with the sunflowers. The seeds form in the center disk. Not only do rodents and birds enjoy these seeds, but humans eat them as well. The seeds are also the future of the sunflower. Collect some for next year’s crop, and collect them before the wildlife cleans out the supply.
Morning Glories, Hollyhocks, And Snapdragons
我每年都能收获大量的牵牛花、蜀葵和金鱼草。
These plants do seed themselves, but with the hollyhocks in particular, I like to collect some of the seed pods before the birds feast on them. I’ve been told that hollyhocks only bloom every other year. However, because I’m constantly planting the seeds I’ve collected, and the plants are constantly distributing a healthy supply of seeds, I have a prolific colorful display every summer.
Presumably snapdragons are annuals. Like hollyhocks and morning glories, they seed themselves each year and grow bigger and more colorful every summer.
Vegetable Seeds
Vegetable seeds are also easy to save for future seasons of sowing. I always have a few potatoes left over, from the previous crop or store bought, that are no longer edible. Plant them in the early spring, as soon as the ground thaws.
Tomatoes
I collect tomato seeds all year long. Lucky for us, the process is very simple! Slice a tomato and remove the pulpy interior. Lay the interior on a sheet of paper towel and cover it with another sheet of paper towels. Let the pulp dry and set aside for the next planting season. When it comes time to plant, the seeds may be left in the paper towel and then planted indoors to start the seedlings.
This technique works really well, and this way I’m assured of the types of tomatoes I enjoy the most. There are so many tomato varieties available to grow, it’s nice to know that something I really like will be in my veggie patch year after year.
Green Peppers
青椒(以及其他辣椒,就这一点而言)的核心含有大量的种子。我没有把辣椒核扔进堆肥里,而是把辣椒籽刮到一张纸巾上,再用另一张纸巾盖住它们。然后,和西红柿一样,我让种子晾干,把它们放在一边,等待下一个生长季节。另外,我还种了一个青椒的整个花心,并用它成功地种了好几株。
Squash
Squashes are similarly full of usable seeds. Clean away the pulp and lay them on a paper towel to dry before storing the seeds for the winter.
Lettuce
How about lettuce seeds? Well, why not! Once the lettuce plant has finished growing edible leaves, it shoots up a stalk full of seeds.
Let the seeds mature and then clip the shoot, dry it on a paper towel, and store for the winter.
In Summary
There’s no need to purchase new seeds year after year. Once you know the means to harvest your seeds, you will reap the benefits of a healthy crop of your favorite foods and flowers, year after year.
Today’s post is brought to you by award-winning author and artist,Emily-Jane Hills Orford. When this author isn’t writing, creating collage paintings, working on her needlework or composing, you’ll find her in the garden. Even in the winter, gardening is not far from her thoughts as she plans and prepares for the next season and the next growing adventure. Using pressed flowers from her garden, this author/artist/composer, is gardening indoors with multi-faceted garden ideas re-created on canvas.
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