When you think of passing on heirlooms, you probably don't think of passing on flowers. But that's what they do at the Seed Saver's Exchange in Decorah, Iowa. In fact a zinnia that is grown here could have easily come from flowers that our great-grandparents once grew 100 years ago. And there's no reason why you can't pass on a piece of your garden by collecting seeds. It's really very easy. The best way to get started is with annuals. You just have to know which ones work best.
First of all, you must use heirloom annual varieties when collecting seeds, not hybrids. Hybrids will not produce the same plant, whereas heirlooms do. If you don't have heirlooms to start with, don't worry. You can buy the seeds from any garden center.
There are three different categories of annuals, based on the weather. The toughest of the bunch, called hardy annuals, include cleome, mallow and larkspur. These hardy annuals are definitely for the low-maintenance garden because they reseed themselves, which means they'll come back year after year. The next category, half-hardy annual flowers, include 'Bells of Ireland', 'Sky and Ice' and 'Pink Baby Doll'. These tolerate mild winters and reseed themselves in milder climates. If you live in the north, you have to collect seeds and store them until the next season. Then you can plant them after the last frost.
The third category, tender annuals, are the wimps of the garden. These seeds do not like cold weather. So it's important that once you've collected the seeds, keep them properly stored through the winter months, and then you can sow the seeds once the soil warms, typically two to three weeks after the last frost. Tender annuals include zinnia, verbena, nicotiana and kiss-me-over-the-garden-gate (Persicaria orientalis).
When collecting your seeds, timing is everything. Typically, the seeds are ready for harvest about two weeks after the bloom has peaked. Once the petals have dropped and the seed head dries, you'll know it's ready. Collect the seeds on a dry, sunny day after the dew has evaporated. Start by carefully shaking the seeds into a bucket. Then, pour them onto a tray with holes in it to help get rid of the excess non-seed material. Put the seeds into a paper envelope labeled with the type of seed and the year it was collected. And finally, it's important to store your seeds in an airtight container. A layer of silica gel at the bottom will help absorb moisture. Store them in a cool, dark location until the next season.
The process for collecting and preserving seeds is the same across the board. What differs is how the seeds look when you collect them. For instance, love-in-a-mist looks like a little capsule with seeds inside. Cleome develops little pods.
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