Flower Seed Basics

Remember how I told you to deadhead flowers so they’ll bloom more? Well, in order to save seeds you’ll need to ignore my advice. Seeds ripen after a flower has faded and lost its petals, so in order to collect seeds, you’ll need to let at least a few dead blossoms stay on the plant. Some people deadhead selectively, so they can collect seeds throughout the season. Other gardeners stop deadheading in late summer and then harvest the seeds all at once. I’m in the late summer camp, but only because it’s more convenient for me.

Seeds from the two giant poppies on the left produced the small flowers on the right.

Keep in mind that plants grown from seed can be unpredictable. Heirloom and open-pollinated plants generally produce offspring that are identical to the parent plant, but hybrids (crosses between two different types of plants) will often produce seeds of one type or the other, or strange combos.

You can also get different results due to cross-pollination between different varieties. Be open to the possibilities!

Last year, I saved seeds from my giant poppies. As you can see in the photo above, this year, the resulting plants are a combination of giant poppies (the two on the left) and other kinds, like that small pom-pom blossom and the unusual spotted one.

The marigold (photo at right) volunteered in my backyard this year, near my bed of seed-grown marigolds. I’ve never planted that kind before, but I love it!

Volunteer marigold flower1.

Over the long haul, as you save seeds from your favorite, healthiest, strongest plants, see what grows, and then save THOSE seeds, eventually you’ll have a thriving seed cycle that’s predictable and uniquely yours – and who knows, you may even develop your own plant variety!

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Danny Lipford

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Danny Lipford is a home improvement expert and television personality who started his remodeling business, Lipford Construction, at the age of 21 in Mobile, Alabama. He gained national recognition as the host of the nationally syndicated television show, Today's Homeowner with Danny Lipford, which started as a small cable show in Mobile. Danny's expertise in home improvement has also led him to be a contributor to popular magazines and websites and the go-to source for advice on everything related to the home. He has made over 200 national television appearances and served as the home improvement expert for CBS's The Early Show and The Weather Channel for over a decade. Danny is also the founder of 3 Echoes Content Studio, TodaysHomeowner.com, and Checking In With Chelsea, a décor and lifestyle blog.

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