Saving Fall Garden Seeds

When the temperatures begin to drop and the leaves begin to turn it's time to start watching for the seeds that need to be saved for the next year. I have some Zinnias in my yard that have been reseeding for many years. Sometimes they surprise you by where they come up, but they will keep coming back each year. I have some heirloom tomatoes that I save the seed every year. Our Magnolia's have the most beautiful seeding process with beautiful seed pods. Saving our seeds in the fall enables us to always have the quality of our seed line to continue every year.

8 years ago we planted 3 to 5 year old Magnolia's along our fence line, so the trees are most likely about 12 to 13 years old. This year for the first time they are putting out seed pods and they are just beautiful. Of course we are saving them especially when we found out how much just one pod would cost, which is between ten to fifteen dollars each.

The Seed Pod Is Very Soft and Feels Like Velvet

It Slowly Begins To Open To Show 
It's Beautiful Red Berries

It Very Slowly Reveals The Seeds

And More Is Revealed

When I Tell You The Zinnias 
Just Come Up Anywhere

Well They Do!

NO, I did not plant the Zinnia in the middle of our drive way. Last year we stacked some of the dried plants at that spot on the way to the compost and guess what we had lovely Zinnia in the middle of our drive way all summer. Yes we just drove over them and they just keep standing there. I saved those Zinnia seed separate, as they are the strongest Zinnia that I  have ever seen. 

Those Zinnia in the middle of the drive way 

have been quiet the conversation piece this season.

These are some of the last Zinnia that are blooming this year. as they begin to die back I simply clip the dried bloom and save the dried blooms in a brown paper bag. Some of the dried blooms, I will just drop where they are so they will come back in that spot again next year.

The Zinnia's in this part of our vegetable garden are drying out real fast so they will be ready to harvest the dried blooms real soon.

And what do we do with the stems? We cut the stem at the base of the plant even with the soil. Then we put the stems in our compost bin, which will go on our gardens here at the cottage.

Garden Vegetables

Jacobs Cattle Dried Beans

We save many of our garden vegetable seeds. We just let them dry on the vine then we save the seed in a glass jar or a brown envelope. I learned a long time ago to make sure they are marked well with the year they were harvested.

Dried Beans

I encourage you to save the seed, it is fun to watch in the spring to see where last years flowers and vegetables will be coming up. Who knows it may be right in the middle of your drive way.

Thanks so much for stopping by to visit with us today and spend some time in the garden, without a doubt one of my favorite places to be.  Have a fantastic fall and come back to see us real soon!

Peace and Joy

Miz Helen