Harvesting the Annuals and Gathering Some Seed

 

Yes -you read that right…I said harvesting the annuals!

Sounds strange to say that doesn’t it?

Most people associate harvesting with veggies and grains!  Well…some of us gardeners, harvest annuals!

Before I begin this discussion,I would like to say, that all of the flowers I am sharing today are from seed in my own greenhouse. They are not brand name flowers…they are the run of the mill plants. There are no copyrights on any of my seeded plants.

In this article, the photos are not new.  I used some that I have had on hand that better show what I am saying.

I also do not grow my seeds to sell. They are grown for my enjoyment only.
Many of the brand name plants are genetically altered to be sterile. This means they are not meant to produce seed, and it is illegal to propagate for any purpose. Keeping all of this in mind….lets get to the harvesting!

FALL IS HERE… There is nothing we can do about it…like it or not the temps are going down and the season is ending.   This means it is time to start looking towards the spring that will follow a very LONG winter.

I have recently received requests for information about gathering our own seeds...so today’s  focus is on getting our gardens ready for the cold and long and dreary winter months that are not going to stay away, simply because we don't like them!

I know from my own experiences of trying to figure out how to harvest, when to harvest and what to look for is not an easy thing to simply go online  and find out. Much of my information about gathering seed has been discovered by chance.   Over the years, I have found many different seeds simply by looking for them! 

Lets begin!

First and foremost...you will want to get yourself some containers ready for the harvest. I use small tins with clear lids that I got at a garden center...but have also been known to use small baby food jars, old pill bottles etc...anything that is not totally air tight or too large.  (you can have small holes punched in the lid if you are worried about being too air tight.)

Paper envelopes work well too. Just make sure your seeds are completely dry before you seal up your container...and DON'T FORGET to label each container!

Petunia plants have very small seeds. Their seed pods resemble bloom buds at first, but with a little patience you will see some very tell tale signs that there are indeed seeds inside that little mouth.

There's some...do you see them? Lets get a closer look..

In the upper right side of the above photo you will see two greener seed pods...those are just beginning to develop. Should you disturb the pod, the seed will not ripen and therefore will not germinate the following spring.

Lets get a closer look at one that is ready for harvest...

You can see how tiny the seeds are...there are a few sticking to the sides of the protective petals. Petunias are "sticky" plants. If you have ever touched one, you will understand. This is a feature Mother Nature added to them, to help keep the tiny seeds from all blowing away immediately upon opening.


When the seed pod is ready to "dump" it's seeds, and you will know this because the seeds inside will be very black. The outer shell of the pod will be partially open and a golden yellow color... Carefully take the pod off of the plant, pull back the sticky petals, and gently squeeze or shake the seeds out into a container. There will be hundreds of seeds in each tiny pod, so be prepared!

I only shook the pod a little bit so as to show you the size of the tiny little seeds... there are hundreds more waiting for me to collect on my plants!

Now that we have collected our seeds in our containers...now what?

You will need to make sure your seeds are stored in a cool and fairly dark area...make sure your containers are not air tight, as the seeds may still contain a little moisture, and produce mold..”ick”.

Keep in mind that you will not be guaranteed the same exact plant that you took the seeds off of. Many of the  annual plants on the market today are HYBRIDS. This means that they took two separate plants to make the plant you have in front of you. They do this to create new varieties and colors. The seeds of a wave petunia...will not be wave petunia plants next year...so keep in mind that you may get some surprises when you harvest your own seed.

How do I know this?

Well... when my children were still to small to "pump" on the swing set...I used to spend endless hours laying on the grass in front of the swings pushing them. Of course I had a flower bed beside the swing set...OF COURSE...and one day I looked over at the petunias, and thought to myself..."great...what the heck kind of bugs are all over the petunias now?" Upon further investigation, I realized that it wasn’t bugs, but seeds!!   Once I made this most interesting discovery...I joyfully shared it with anyone who would listen for weeks and weeks…and the rest is history.

Next, we will look at the Malva, Lavatera and the Marigold. These three flowers are prolific bloomers in my gardens, and produce easily the seeds that will become the plants of the future.

Okay kids…get your containers ready. These three plants are generous producers.  You will be able to gather a lot of seed, and since they are a little larger than that of the Petunias that we harvested together yesterday, they will be easier to see, handle and store.  I suggest a paper bag for these to start with.

Marigold, Malva, and Lavatera will require you to put a little effort into separating the seeds from the plant, so putting them into a paper bag, will not only buy you some space, but will buy you a little time.

Grab three bags, and label them. You can decorate them later...come on...lets go looking!
Look! There is a seed pod...or as I like to call it a Lavatera Button! Wait...don't pick that one yet..it is not ready. It's still green! Lets keep looking...

This one is looking a little better...the seeds are dark. I usually like to wait until the "button" itself turns a light brown/beige color. I have had an easier time getting the seeds out, and they have a higher germination ratio when I have waited. But...since there are not any that are that ready yet...we will have to pretend...

Pop that little button off the plant, and take the "wrapper" off...inside you will see that little ring of brown... those are the seeds!  Rubbing them in your hand a little will separate them and voila! you have a few seeds for next year!
 
This is a whole bunch of Malva going to seed. Now..here's some little info tid- bits....Malva and Lavatera are from the same family, they have the same type of seed pods. Therefore, they can be treated the same way. Make sure the seeds are good and dry before you remove them from the paper bag and put them into a jar....also keep in mind, that although Lavatera will re-seed itself sometimes...Malva will ALWAYS re-seed. I did not plant any into my garden this year....and I have hundreds of them growing all over the place..!  This can become an issue if you are not careful!
 
Let's go look for some Marigold seeds...

Here we are!
See the pod of seeds to the left above my hand?
The dead bloom?
 yes...the dead bloom....it is full of seeds...the one in my hand, is the view from the front. Pluck it off...pull it apart, make sure you don't keep the dry flower petals....

There they are!
They remind me of the porcupine quills I used to see in my dog's nose as a child here and there! lol.....Now put those in your bag or put the whole pod in now and sort it out later...It has been my experience, that when I decide to plant the marigold seeds, the darkest, and hardest ones are usually more viable...

Between the Malva and the Marigolds, we could have a full blown mess of volunteer flowers...maybe I should do that in the alley bed I want to make next year....

Now...I realize that this next plant is NOT an annual....and the flowers are not really the part of the plant that we like...but I have got a spider plant that does not produce BABIES....or offsets...it instead insists on going to seed! I am very proud of this plant.

One day I came into the sun room and thought I was seeing poop from some unknown rodent.  After freaking out, crying and almost  putting the house up for sale....I realized that it was indeed the seeds of a houseplant! Let me tell YOU I was so excited. This more than validated that I knew what I was doing and did know one or two things about plants! Yea Me! (okay it was an accident...lol)
 
Okay...now that I have finished celebrating my success and beauty...did I say that? oops!....here is the photo of a spider plant seed pod...

Do you see the little buds?
Those are not plantlets getting ready to sprout...those are indeed seeds!
Lets look a little closer...

These are the seeds that are taken out of a mature and dry Spider Plant seed pod! woo hoo!

Now Spider plant seeds do not germinate quickly. The actually take their sweet old time! Most plants (that I seed) are up within 7-14 days...these babies take a little longer than that...so if you are lucky like I am to have a plant that will make seeds, cover gently, and keep warm and moist...and be patient...they will come....If you are not a plant freak like me, and do not really care if it is from a miracle seed....use the plantlets that the other plants will send out,..it is almost an instant addition to your plant collection....and much easier if I do say so myself!

 Oh look....I think I see some pansy's that are going to seed! Can you find the seed pod in the photo below?

There are several....but one in particular caught my eye....yes...the one at the center at the bottom of the photo....good eye!

Lets take a closer look...

There it is....but this one is not ready. Pansy's are a little different than some of the others that I showed.

They have some very neat characteristics when they go to seed...

Cool isn't it!?! I love the way the pod will open up and become a star shape. Those little light brown dots inside the petals of the seed pod are the seeds! This one is not full anymore...the seeds must have already jumped out. But...we can take what we have here and put them in our container. ....and keep hunting.

On my way to another pansy plant...I happened upon a pot with some Alyssum....we can't miss those seeds!

Do you see all the little dry looking gray/white dots on the plant?  Yes...those are the seeds! I don't usually collect the Alyssum seeds...they are cheap and plentiful in the garden center each spring, but you never know!..

What else can we find to show you.....hmmmm...

Okay, here's one for those that love perennials! This is a columbine and she has some pods just waiting to be plucked!

I grabbed the seed pod on the tip of its stem....

And dumped it out! ta-da!!!!!

No...those are not mouse poop! Those are the seeds of a Colmbine plant!

Isn’t this exciting???

NEXT!!!!

The pods on this Portulaca (above) are not quite ready to burst yet. When they are they will look similar to those of the Petunia that we harvested earlier. The seeds are a tiny bit bigger....but very much the same drill for the harvest!

Check out the Snap Dragons! There are going to be Lots of seeds on those...

A closer view to show you what I see....those little pods all along the stem, will dry and the top where you see the little "string" will open up....then you can pour the dark seeds into your containers...Mine are not quite ready to harvest....

Lets go look at the Sweet Williams.

Yes sir! Those are definitely ready to pick. See the little cup? That little cup is just loaded with seeds for us to pour into our containers! ...

It is a little blurry...but you get the idea..

Now...Last but not Least....the seeds of a Geranium.....

Check out the fuzz on that plant!

Do you see those fuzzy things?
yes...those are the seeds of a geranium.
 But...the fuzz is not the seed...

The little brown rice shaped thing attached to the fuzz...is the seed!

Well…that’s all the seeds I have to “pick”  in my gardens.  Thanks for walking with me, and keeping me company during the fall Harvest in my garden.

I grow many different plants, but do not harvest the seeds of them all. It is not worth the time or the effort for some of the different ones. If my Morning Glory had survived, I would have been able to show you those...they look like tiny little grapes....but that is a story for next year.

AGAIN I do not harvest seed from anything that I have purchased. Many times a hybrid plant will not produce what you want it to the next year from seed…and I don’t like surprises!  The garden center plants are also under a copywright that does not permit us from propagating them ourselves.  Keep that in mind if you are out looking for seed!


So there you have it...I am exhausted...how about you? Thanks for reading this LONG Post. Did I teach ya anything?

Thanks for joining me...! Until next time…Happy Growing/ Harvesting/ Gardening!

*)*)*) Inside you, there is the courage, faith, determination and drive to change or create anything you want in your life.

 
(¯`v´¯)
`*.¸.*´Glenda/Tootsie
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When the 80’s Called and Demanded Their UGLY Back…

Hey guys!   How the heck are ya?   I have missed you all a lot, and finally have a few minutes to sit down and share a little bit of what I have been doing around here when I am not working on …well…work!

As you know, my Cowboy and the kids and I have recently purchased a beautiful acreage.   We moved in last November and are loving our new home…well Mostly.

This house was built in the 80’s.   It is a very nice size for us and has all kinds of wonderful things about it that made us want to live here.   However…there were a few things that right off the bat we knew we were going to change.   Today…I am sharing one of those things.

MY KITCHEN.

I adore the layout of this kitchen.   Having the stove on the island is a dream!   It makes this Tootsie who generally hates to cook or bake…almost enjoy that task!  There are plenty of cabinets and drawers for what we need…and on the other side of the dining area there is a built in china cabinet.
 
What’s not to love!



Ya…THAT’S not to love.

The oak Cabinets have turned VERY orange…and the finish is worn, dry and in bad shape.








We talked and talked about what to do with the finish on the cabinets.   The possibilities are endless when it comes to things like this.
 
I am NOT a fan of the chalk paint or the other fad paint products on the market right now.   So that would not be an option.

I wanted to go classic…and keep the integrity of the wood, so I got the sander out…and took off the old orange finish.

It took HOURS and HOURS and HOURS and PAGES and PAGES and PAGES of sand paper.   It was a nasty mess!

I sanded the doors of the cupboards outside when I could…the weather was great, and I enjoyed the fresh air.  :)



The cabinet frames and the island were done in place as I did not want to move them off the walls and floors…so I hooked my shop vac to the sander and went to town!

My oldest Daughter was in need of a project for her industrial arts class, and she decided that helping me would be a fun time.  So…I handed her some gloves and a sander and put her teenage self to work…teaching her how to do what she needed to do…and documenting all of her help.   (she did not want me to share the photos of her assisting me, so I am keeping it simple for her)



Once we finished all the sanding…we were ready to stain.



I didn’t really want to have a color that everyone else has…so I decided to mix up my own color and it turned out to be exactly what the Cowboy and I wanted!

Waiting for it to dry enough to do the finishing touches on felt like FOREVER.



Once the stain was dry, I applied a coat of protective finish to it all to ensure that it would last for years.   Once that was dry…it was time to put every thing back together.



Ta-Da!!!    The finish came out so great!



We love the way the light plays with the colors.   At different times of the day, it takes on a bit of a different shade…sometimes light grey, sometimes darker.   Either way it looks very nice.



Now…once I finished the main part of the kitchen, I turned around and decided that the built in china cabinet could NOT stay the original orange oak that it was…but we did not want it to feel like a big displaced heavy cabinet in the dining room…I had to co-ordinate…but be just a little different from the rest.

Here’s what I came up with.



I did the same finish on all of the doors and drawers…but painted out the frame with the same color as the walls.   I also used that cream color inside the microwave opening in the cooking area…so it all goes together nicely.



It was a huge undertaking…and a challenging one to say the least…but we are very excited at the way it all came out.  It went from Dated and Worn to a more up to date shade of pretty.



What do you think?

I know we are happy with the results…and pooped from all the work!   The clean up is almost as hard on us as the sanding!  lol

Thank you "Miss Georgie" for all your help!   I hope learning from your old Mom was fun!

That’s all I have for you today.

There is more to share from the adventures in this house…but time is of the essence and I will share again soon!

Until Next Time…Happy Decorating!

(¯`v´¯)
`*.¸.*´Glenda/Tootsie
¸.•´¸.•*¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•´ .•´ ¸¸.•¨¯`•.
www.tootsietime.com

*)*)*)"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, only then well there truly be peace" ~ Albert Einstein

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The Shady Border

Shade is often one area of the garden that gives gardeners the most trouble. I would like to take some time today to share some great suggestions for plantings in a shaded area.

For the purpose of this post, shade will be described as an area of your garden that gets some morning or evening sun.   I have used photos that are not mine...they are from a book...and I am sorry, but I can't credit you if I don't know where the photo came from...so...if you see YOUR photo in my post...please message me and I will happily edit my writing to include you ...you deserve the credit!
Now...back to the best stuff...

The first thing you will need to do is to chose your area. When choosing your location, try to avoid making a bed under very large trees, as their roots often use up too much water. Building a raised bed under a tree can, at times, cause the tree to become distressed. When extra soil is added, the roots will be unable to breathe and the tree could suffer and eventually die.

Prepare your area by loosening /digging the soil up to a depth of about two feet. This will help you in removing all perennial weeds and their roots and make mixing in compost, manure or peat moss easier. (For more information on building a new flower bed...see this post…Building a new flower bed from scratch)
 
Once you have prepared your soil it is time to plan the plantings! (For more information about soil preparation/amendment see this post …Making Dirt Into Soil) Set out your plants and move them around until you find their most attractive spots and are showing their best side. You may also want to soak the plants in water before you plant them. This will cut down on some of the root shock. Keep in mind that it is best to plant any shrubs in early spring or fall to give them time to establish a healthy root system.

Now that you have planned out your garden still in their pots...it is time you start to plant it. Carefully knock the plant out of it's container and scarify the root ball a little bit. (you should check to see if the tag says not to scarify...some plants will not like it, but most will...)

SCARIFY: The act of roughing up the root ball a little to loosen the roots as to stimulate healthy growth.

Place the new plants into their respective spaces and stand back to be sure they are perfect to you. Water the new additions in using a fertilizer or plant food of your choice. This will help reduce root and plant shock and will also encourage new growth.

Need a list of possible shade lovers?

Lets begin with a few perennials:
I will describe all the plants in the above photo ( oh how I wish this was in my garden)
 


Hydrangea
Height: 3-15 ft.
Spread: 6-10 ft.
Beautiful blue or pink or white flower heads in the summer...Most are zones 6-9...but for us Canadians, Pee Gee Hydrangea is very tough ...can handle our -40 winters!


Hosta
Height: 1-3 ft
Spread: 3-4 ft
White or lilac flowers, but this plant is most often used for it's impressive foliage...there are many different variations of Hosta to choose from. And they are hardy to our cold Canadian winters too!


Hebe
Height: 6-12 in
Spread: 2-3 ft
Flowers early in the summer, is an excellent ground cover, but will need to be protected over the winter...best suited for zones 4-8.


Crocosmia
Height: 2-4 ft
Spread: 6-8 in
This plant prefers sin, but will tolerate some light shade. Orange, red or gold flowers will appear in late summer. Protect in winter in cooler areas...best suited for zones 5-8.


Rosa Rugosa
Height: 3-6 ft
Spread: 3-6 ft
This hardy plant blooms pink in the fall. Will grow in Canada! zones 2-8.


Bugleweed
Height: 15in
Spread: 24 in
Small purple flowers will appear in the spring with this ground cover. Very hardy plant...zones 2-8!


Ligularia
Height: 4ft
Spread: 2 ft
This is a pretty orange flowering plant that will bloom late in the summer in zones 4-9.



Smoke Tree
Height: 15 ft
Spread: 15 ft
This is called a deciduous or evergreen plant. Ball shaped flowers will appear late in the summer. Not hardy at all...zones 5-9


Foxglove
Height: 30 in-5 ft
Spread: 1-2 ft
Pink spikes appear in the summer, is self seeding and is a biennial.. I have some here that is hardy...but most only live in zones 4-10. (I am a zone 3)


Did you know there are different types of shade? Here are a couple of plant choices for them:

DRY SHADE

Euphorbia
This plant features round greenish yellow flower heads in the spring...gets about 3ft and is only a perennial in zones 7-10....would be an annual in my area!!



Gladwin Iris
Tall fast growing plants with bright pink berries in the fall...sounds interesting...Gets to about 5 ft and is hardy to zones 5-7. I once made an entire hedge out of these along a pathway.



Windflower
I love the name of this plant. It is also known by a less glamorous name - Anemone. It sports cub shaped blue, pink or white flowers in the spring. I have some that need to be protected but is safe in zones 5-8. Will be about 5ft.



Fringecups (Tellima)
Small bell shaped creamy white flowers will appear on this plant in late spring. It will be about 18 inches and will grow as a perennial in zones 4-9

DAMP SHADE

Astilbe
White pink or burgundy plumes show themselves in summer months. Will grow between 1-4 ft tall. Can be grown as a perennial in zone 3 if placed in a sheltered area and protected in the winter, but is best grown in zones 4-8


Royal Fern.Beautiful bronze plumes on dark green leaves...very tender plant. Will only grow in zones 7-9 and will be about 1-3 feet tall.


Bergenia
Pink or red flowers will appear in the spring and the leaves of this plant will be red - green. It will grow to about 18 inches. Very pretty and is hardy for zones 3-8. Finally one for the Canadian girls!


Marsh Marigold (buttercup)
This plant will be about 24 inches tall and will sport yellow buttercup type flowers in the summer months. Will also grow in zones 3-8


COLD AREAS

Spotted Laurel
This is a shrubby plant with evergreen foliage that will produce red berries in the fall. Will grow to about 8 feet and is best grown in zones 5-9

Anemone
(see dry shade)
HOT AREAS


Bears Breeches
Tall spikes with white and purple flowers in the summer make this plant a great addition. It will grow to about 4 ft. Good for zones 8-10


Globe Thistle
This plant will show blue globes of spiky flowers in the summer months. Will be about 2-3 ft tall. Zones 3-10

Now should you want to have some annuals in the mix...there are many that I grow in my own shade beds...I even have some full sun plants that do quite well it there!


Impatiens
Lobelia crystal palace
Lobelia (hanging )
Alyssum
Geranuims
Forget me not
Snap Dragon
Pansy
Marigold
Dusty Miller
Petunia
My shade is not deep and my beds get about 4 hours of sun each day...(for complete plant descriptions of the annuals, including photos of each...see this post: 5/22/08 called What Makes my Gardens Tick? Plant Directory.)


Now this is my shade garden a few days ago...it has since been weeded and has already changed quite a bit....(thank goodness for warm weather) also...please excuse the mess you see in both of these shots...HEY...I am only one girl!
You all now know all that I know about shade gardening!

Until next time….Happy gardening!

*)*)*) People inspire you or they drain you. Pick them wisely, and watch how you treat others!

(¯`v´¯)
`*.¸.*´Glenda/Tootsie
¸.•´¸.•*¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•´ .•´ ¸¸.•¨¯`•.
original posting 7/9/08

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