Collecting Seeds
When the garden is asleep, I like to look through the seed drawer.
At Native Edible Designs, we collect seeds throughout the growing season, and store them in envelopes carefully labeled with the plant name, location and date it was harvested. Each envelope contains seeds from one of my favorite native plants - goldenrod, monarda, agastache, boneset, various asters, ironweed, yarrow, and more..
We carry a mini seed library in each of our trucks for this very purpose.
One of the greatest joys is finding new places in your gardens to tuck these lovingly harvested seeds. We carry a mini seed library in each of our trucks for this very purpose.
Harvesting seeds is quite easy - and it's free! Collecting seeds can happen throughout the year, once different plants flower, then fruit, and then fade into shades of brown and black. The end of fall and even into winter is my favorite time to collect - everything is dried and ripe for the picking. Simply use hand pruners or scissors to snip off the spent flower or fruit and store them in a paper bag or envelope to prevent mold. Keep them in a dry place at room temperature without exposure to the light.
Each plant has its own unique seed, and may require a different method of harvesting. Baptisia has long black pods that can be opened to reveal its seeds. Milkweed seeds are also encased in pods that open to reveal light fluffy seeds that drift on the wind, and jewelweed’s (also called touch me not) seeds explode out when the flower is touched so simply place a bag over the flower before harvesting. Have you ever harvested seeds? What are your favorite natives to collect from? Leave a comment below!
