Collect Seeds for Spring

Autumn means it’s time to collect the seeds of flowering annuals, perennials and ornamental grasses. Harvest and store them now and you’ll have an abundant supply for sowing in spring.

Here’s how to do it :

• Use a sharp pair of scissors (herb scissors are ideal) to snip off the seed capsules and pods of the plants concerned. Place them in a paper bag as you work to prevent the seeds from spilling out.
• When you’re finished harvesting bring the seeds indoors and lay them out flat on trays lined with newspaper. Place the trays in a cool, dry place until all the seed capsules have opened by themselves.
• Use a kitchen sieve to sift out the fine seeds and pick out the larger ones by hand.
• Place the different seed types in envelopes, labelling each with the name of the plant and the date.
• Store your seed envelopes in a cool, dark cupboard until spring.

Top tip: Good seeds for harvesting include yarrow, aster, dianthus, foxglove, aquilegia, Echinacea, gaillardia, rudbeckia and zinnia.