[mama_mich]

I have been all over the internet and searched this forum and still no answers on how to collect seeds. I planted sweet willams last spring a biannual. What a gorgeous surprise this summer! I have no idea what the seeds might look like and how to gather them?

I am also a calendula whore. You'll see in my posts its my answer to everything. Interestingly enough in my research I found it's my birth month's flower but unfortunately have not found how to harvest it's seeds. There are so many things on the flower itself that could be a seed.

So does anyone have a book suggestion I might find at my library to help me understand and accomplish this part of gardening? Any links?

I just checked out Flower Gardening Secrets. The Old Farmers Almanac Home Library by Cynthia Van Hazinga. Really neat and some great quotes from almanacs of the past.

 

[phoebemommy]

I have an idea about calendula. We've been drying it by just laying the flowers out on a piece of cardboard. I was looking at a dried one that kind of fell apart and there were some seeds all good to go inside of it. Try that and see?

I love it, too!

 

[serenetabbie]

Did you try a search on seed saving? That might get you the results you are looking for. I am not much help in the way of decorative plants (aside from the super easy things like datura or marigolds), sorry... but I know we have talked about seed saving here before

 

[GardenStream]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mama_mich I have been all over the internet and searched this forum and still no answers on how to collect seeds. I planted sweet willams last spring a biannual. What a gorgeous surprise this summer! I have no idea what the seeds might look like and how to gather them? I am also a calendula whore. You'll see in my posts its my answer to everything. Interestingly enough in my research I found it's my birth month's flower but unfortunately have not found how to harvest it's seeds. There are so many things on the flower itself that could be a seed. So does anyone have a book suggestion I might find at my library to help me understand and accomplish this part of gardening? Any links? I just checked out Flower Gardening Secrets. The Old Farmers Almanac Home Library by Cynthia Van Hazinga. Really neat and some great quotes from almanacs of the past.

I have the book Seed to Seed, which really is wonderful. It only covers vegetables though. I have found pretty much everything for flowers just by searching for the flower name and seed saving after that. I just found this for calendula.

Calendula seed saving

 

[mama_mich]

Quote:

Originally Posted by serenetabbie Did you try a search on seed saving? That might get you the results you are looking for. I am not much help in the way of decorative plants (aside from the super easy things like datura or marigolds), sorry... but I know we have talked about seed saving here before

oh sister so much more than decorative!!

Great in salads
super medicinal
great alternative to spendy saffron.
voted herb of the year

Thanks for the link atobols!