What Seeds are You Saving?

@Zeedman : this one out back was a volunteer! You were spot on!

Zeedman said:

I tried growing that once, unsuccessfully. It is a beautiful plant, SSE has it growing all over one of their display gardens. My best guess is that like Zebrina (and Martynia) it is best grown unintentionally.

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About that Martynia... about 10 years ago, I tried to grow a Native American cultivar ("Paiute") offered by an SSE member, that was supposedly used for food, the young pods eaten like okra. The seeds were planted in peat pots w/ sterile mix - nothing. I assumed the seeds were dead. At the end of the season, I throw any left over peat pots & starting mix into the garden, and turn it under.

The next year, a bunch of strong, sunflower-like seedlings appeared in that garden. It turned out to be the Martynia! Nearly every one of the seeds that failed when first planted, emerged after spending a winter under the snow. It has volunteered every year since. I always let a plant or two grow, provided it is well off the path... the plant has an oily substance on all surfaces, and gives off a strong, unpleasant odor on hot days. I keep it in the "anti-social corner", next to Litchi tomato. Quite honestly, I'm surprised that a Southwest desert native has proven to be so well adapted to our cold Wisconsin winters.

Oh, and the taste of the okra-like pods... I would only eat it if it were a question of survival.

I've been meaning to try Love Lies Bleeding again, winter-sown... but then again, if in the vegetable garden, I would probably regret it. Success with self-sowing plants sometimes turns into "be careful what you wish for". Ground cherries & tomatillos fall in that category.

I get the smell thing. Thanks to some ill advised seed throwing, Senna has become naturalized in many places of our yard. The seed lasts forever (thank goodness we live just a bit too far north for it to complete it's life cycle and make more mature seed.) Stinks to high heaven when we mow. And it doesn't do the one thing I hoped it might, keep down the squirrels and chipmunks (I though they might eat it and defecate themselves to death.)

Pulsegleaner said:

I get the smell thing. Thanks to some ill advised seed throwing, Senna has become naturalized in many places of our yard. The seed lasts forever (thank goodness we live just a bit too far north for it to complete it's life cycle and make more mature seed.) Stinks to high heaven when we mow. And it doesn't do the one thing I hoped it might, keep down the squirrels and chipmunks (I though they might eat it and defecate themselves to death.)

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that doesn't sound like a good way to "Go" but i certainly understand the frustration those creatures can cause a gardener...

Well, at least the lawn gets fertilized.....

Pulsegleaner said:

Well, at least the lawn gets fertilized.....

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Sounds like someone is instigating a constitutional crisis...

Pulsegleaner said:

Well, at least the lawn gets fertilized.....

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The native Americans used to fertilize corn by burying a fish next to where it was planted. Rodents work really well also, it doesn't have to be a fish.

Dh is saving seed from two tomatoes. An unknown!!!! paste tomato a friend grows and an Oxheart.
Oh and LOTS of seed from the different wild flowers we want to SPREAD.

cosmos and beans today. the yellow/orange/reddish ones i've been growing for a long time. the red/white/pink ones which are frondier and growing out front i haven't checked yet. in the past those of that variety have not set as many seeds so we tend to not pick them off the plants or even remember to, but i should check them anyways.

Mom saved some zinnia and marigold seeds the other day. beautiful colors.

I'm a seed hoarder. I cant help myself! I save seeds from everything! And not just a small amount but like jars full! I need help.......