I've been saving seeds like mad this year. Collecting the seeds from my own garden and using them for my nursery as well as for personal use is one easy way to make sure I have quality seed at a low cost! Unfortunately the amount of seeds produced by plants this year will probably be fewer due to the drought conditions. I've done my best to water the critical plants with seeds I want to save, especially anything I've attempted to hybridize. I've attempted a few coneflower crosses ('White Swan' x 'Sunrise') as well as several daylilies, hostas, and even heuchera. Have you ever tried hybridizing a teeny tiny heuchera flower? Good grief the flower parts are small! Those will take a good deal of practice to get something going. For now I've been collecting open pollinated as well as any that may have produced seed as crosses. We'll see what happens when planted!
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| Heuchera 'Dale's Strain' |
Here's a list of seeds I've collected so far:- Heuchera 'Dale's Strain'
- Heuchera 'Midnight Rose'
- Heuchera 'Paris'
- Heuchera 'Mystic Angel'
- Salvia greggii 'Autumn Sage'
- Cilantro/Coriander
- Japanese maple (Acer palmatum)
- Gerbera Daisy
- Petunia (from the Wave series)
- Achillea (Red flowering)
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| Heuchera 'Mystic Angel' |
Seeds I still need to Collect:- Lavender
- Lemon Balm
- Coneflowers
- Hostas
- Poppy
- Daylilies
- Caryopteris
- Catnip
- Lettuce
- Assorted heirloom vegetables
- Anything else I run across!
Many of these varieties will not breed true to type however I'm interested in the possibility of new hybrids in the ornamentals, particularly the hostas, heucheras, and daylilies.
Are you collecting seed this summer?
