Collecting seeds from your garden or plants is a great solution for having new species in the future. This page will give you simple tips on how to get the most out of your flowers and other plants for the following year and even longer.

Here is a little basic information that may come in handy. There are nonhybrid plants that produce flowers similar to the parent plant. The nonhybrid flowers and plants are the best to use. There is a chance to get cross-pollination or birds carrying seeds that will result in a mixture of colors if there are other varieties of that same specie near by. The result will be a chance of the following year having a mixture of these colors.

The hybrid flowers are the least successful when collecting seeds. These are plants that are intentionally cross pollinate specific parents. The flowers will actually look like their grandparents and not their parents. This may sound a little strange, but plants today are specifically grown as nonhybrids or hybrids.

Annuals are the best producing flowers for collecting seeds. The great characteristic about annuals is one or two of the heads is enough for the following year for the an average garden. Below are a few simple tips to follow.

• Some flowers have pods that the seeds will spray out when they are ripe. It is important before they dry out and once pollination takes place, to either place squares of panty hose or a small paper bag over the flowerheads. Never use a plastic bag as this could actually produce some types of mold. Some flowers that will work well doing this method are, Impatiens, Pansies, and Lupine.
• Other pods hold their seeds until they have totally totally dried out. Take the ripe heads and shake the seeds into a bowl. Some flowers that will do well with this process are Poppy, Petunias, and Pot Marigolds.
• Another method is tearing apart the heads. The seeds are tightly packed into their heads. Take a bowl and tear apart the heads. This is a popular method and can be done throughout many different seasons. Some flowers done this way are Marigolds, Zinnia, Morning Glories, and Hollyhocks.

• The final method is by protecting the pods. These pods are inviting to birds and other animals. The key to accomplishing this method is to protect the pods before the birds or other animals get to them. Protect the heads by taking a small paper bag and putting it over each pod. This should be done when the pod is near its maturity. Some flowers that should be done this way are Sunflower and Cosmos.

There are many spices and herbs that you can use any of these methods above. I love collecting the seeds from Garlic Chives and planting in different areas or containers the following year. In the variety of plants section, there is a page on Sedum. This is a great late summer and winter flower where the heads can be put over a bowl and shake well.

Remember to find out if your flowers or plants are a pure nonhybrid or if they are hybrids. If there is a specific plant color you are looking for, a general rule of thumb is to buy the seeds or bedding plants from a quality company or nursery. Collecting seeds from your flowers and other plants will give you the option of returning your favorite specie in the future to the same garden, or giving them a new environment in which to flourish. This is a great simple solution.