Yes artemiss the seeds are in the cone part they are skinny and about 1/16" long just take the seed head and rub your fingers over it and they drop out don't mistake the droppings for seeds they are soft and the seeds are hard, the flower dies and wait until the stem dies and truns brown right where the flower is attached close to the flower before you collect them, I had those seed to start this year but never got them started are they as pretty as the pictures? I'm collecting Rustic Colors and last year I wasn't impressed with them but oh this year they are beautiful! and the blooms are huge! I wish I could show you in a picture.
I've heard some people just put the seed heads in a bag and shake it but I usually do it the hard way lol
Cottage Garden Seed Swap & Chat #38
Thanks! I have a few where the flowers are starting to die back, but the stems are still green. I've gotta say, the blooms on them have been quite long-lasting, as I hadn't expected to wait this long for the seeds..several of it's companions in that bed have already bloomed, died and I've collected the seed while the blooms on it have stayed nice and pretty.
I personally like them, but they are more of a deep maroon than a true fire-engine red, and they started out kinda dull and colored up as the flower matured. Oh, and mine came as plants from the Bluestone half-off sale.
I have some pics I can post up when I get home (at work now..shhh, hehe!)
I have been eyeing those Cherry Brandy, too. I really like maroon flowers. Was pretty disappointed when I missed out on a few of those seeds in the last swap. Would sure be interested in some from you or anyone else who has some. I will have a lot more seeds to pick from this year, thanks to everyone's generosity and some great plant trades at plant swaps!
I'm hoping to get in on some of those Cherry Brandy seeds saved in the next swap too. I saw a pic of them in a member's garden when they first opened, and hers were dull too, but a few days later she took another pic and liked the color better- they were noticeably more burgundy. She had Black Prince snapdragons with them, and after they colored up they were really nice together.
They sure sound nice I like all of the rudbeckias heck I like almost all flowers lol I'm a flower junkie LOL
I had to take the truck today to put my weed eater in to be fixed and I was going down the road with all the windows open and the back of the truck and all of a sudden I thought about my seeds I have drying in the back of it thank goodess they were still there thought there was going to be a wreck though when I thought about them cause I slowed down all of a sudden lol I could just see me telling the police that the reason I slowed down so fast was because I didn't want to lose my seeds lol
Neal isn't this weather great now this weekend is going to be wonderful!!!
Ya all don't let me forget them, cuz have a bunch for the piggy swap. Not sure if the save d oens wil coem true or not, but i have abotu 5 package s of them I had bought and haven't gotten planted yet, so wil have plenty to share.
Artemiss, if you don't mind when ya gather seed fom yours save me some. I always liek to see what coems from hybrids in the next generations.
I had bought four of them geraniums from geranicae, and kilel d evry single one of them. They did good for logn time and then think to much rain her e got to mine even in the pots and they croaked.
The Bluestone catalog called the Cherry Brandy Ruds short lived perennials that would reseed, so I'm curious about that too. I'm sure if there are other varieties close by, we could expect some cross pollination.
Lea, this weather is amazing! Especially for August- I think the high today is supposed to be 76F!
Hi Flower Junkies - how long has my subconscious been wanting to say that? Luv that one, Lea.
That Cherry Bomb sounds like a winner, but I think I might have too much shade for it - anyone know how much shade it could take?
Star and other geranium lovers, I have a burgeoning clump of Geranium macrorhizum 'Will Ingwersen'. Unlike most geraniums I've tried, it's leaves are so thick and pretty that they make all the normal hubbub of cottage flowers behind them, further back in the garden, look good. And! this geranium does this in awful conditions of dry, rooty shade. But, did rooted pieces of it transplant well this summer? No, they didn't. About 1/3 of them blackened and turned to mush grrr, and I strongly suspect all this rain we've been having sine last May.
I also love the aromatic fragrance from these leaves when the sun hits them that pervades the garden, too.
I'll try again next year - that spot is pure, landfill quality clay from a former owner, so if I can get a dry spell next year I'm going to fluff it up with more compost and oodles of recycled potting soil from this coming winter's wintersowing. (Ridesredmule & any other newbies reading this - check out www.wintersown.org )
I apologize to y'all, but I didn't collect seeds. Just giving ya a heads up if ya ever get a chance to acquire this one. It's not easy being a cottage gardener in mostly shade.
Neal, it's been relatively cool here all summer, too - no days in the100s...don't think we got above 94 a couple of times...we're supposed to be heading for a high of 79 next Friday. Can't complain too much.
Lea, hope things are coming along okay regarding your house.
Star, I have loved your stories - any more to tell from this summer?
karen
You're very lucky with your weather, Neal. Here in Boston it feels like we've been plopped down in the middle of the Amazon jungle for the past week. Have to hibernate in the a/c most of the time to keep from melting away.
Well, here I am and I do have a few seeds to trade. I have to walk around to figure what I have, but am afraid you all may already have some of them. I know I have some black Columbine, purple Cleome, There's seed on our white dogwood, have persimmon tree. Marigolds, the nice smelly kind. I'm sure there is more just got to go out and round them up. this is going to be fun. Thanks for the invitation.
ridesredmule, all kinds of folks participate in the piggy swap that sometimes starts in November, so I'll bet someone is going to love your seeds - it's great that you're already saving them - some of us save anything that makes a pod or seed all year long :)
Trading goes on all the time, especially in the Seed Trading forum. When I first started trading seeds on dg, I did what you're doing - went around the garden and saved anything that was making seed or pod. You might be surprised what folks were happy to have.
That sounds like a winner. You all might be stuck with me.
It will be fun having you along for the piggy swap Rides. I'll be on the lookout for those purple Cleome. I planted the standard pink and white cleome this year and like them a lot. Will probably have to put them in a different spot this year. I have sure come to realize that "full sun" requirements don't necessarily mean "full south Texas sun"! I am rather jealous of those of you that are having a mild summer. In addition to our extreme drought, we have had over 50 days that hit over 100. Some of my poor babies have pretty much "tuckered out" in the heat, even when given plenty of water. Some things are really enjoying it, though. My obedient plant are especially gorgeous. I know they have a bad rap for taking over a bed, but I have been able to keep them contained to one area. The echinacea 'merlot' that I got maozamom have some beautiful first year blooms and the echie 'green envy' from Lala is about to open. I am excited to see how true those will be. The gaillardia 'fanfare' that I got from Tuinkabouter are loving the heat, too. Interesting that some of the flowers are quilled and some are not. So, all that to say I now have some reverse zone envy! It has sure been fun reading about how well y'all's flowers are doing and seeing the pics.
I want to pipe in some congrats to Jill, too! I enjoyed brousing through your baby pics. What a blessing! BTW - I think of you very fondly each time I eat some of my cinnamon basil, which I am still enjoying even thought it has bloomed. I guess I haven't fine tuned my 'basil buds' enough to tell when they turn a little bitter. I will definately grow them again next year!
Neal, I’m worried about cross pollinations too on my Rustic Colors I ended up with Irish Eyes reseeding not far away from them and will be so disappointed if they did but I have two different kinds of rudbeckias side by side that come up by the bird feeder and they always seem to be true.
Welcome ridesredmule :) I’m sure your seeds will be more than welcome I can’t speak for anyone else but sometime I lose plants that I have had the year before and look for more seeds to replant already you have mentioned seeds that I would like to have so don’t be so shy with your seeds. Also sometimes what you have in your part of the country you may think is common but in another state they may not be so collect those seeds we will love them!
Karen, I just made my sister an offer of the Camaro I think that is what she was wanting in the first place if she doesn’t take it we will go to court there is a pre-trial coming up Sept. 4th to see if we will go to court but I figure we will my sister is very greedy :) I’ll find out next week if she takes the offer.
nbgard, don’t forget what Suzy said about keeping seeds true :) When you start getting flowers off of a plant if they aren’t true to that plant get rid of it I had a hard time with the Rustic Colors I had several plants and had to go down to one because the others didn’t look like they were suppose to but this year I’m glad I did because I had a beautiful stand of them! Just perfect flowers :)
It's 59 here now free air conditioning! We got my tree cleaned up in the side yard yesterday FINALLY still have the trunk pieces waiting on a big chain saw anyone have one LOL But I'm going to start planting the side yard this week :)) I still have a few WS babies that need to get out of their containers and others that I have transplanted into pots just need to kill more grass but I spread the leaves out good from the tree limbs and am adding more leaves today that need to be chopped up once the grass is dead I'll just take the grass catcher on my mower and collect and chop the leaves up and turn around and use them as mulch there :) I have a whole new blank slate to start with again :)
I also have white wisteria and purple wisteria hanging from the vine. Big fat fuzzy pods. When is the right time to get them? i want them to mature so we can trade.Thank you all for the welcome. I looked at the baby pictures. Beautiful baby, I'm very happy for you.
Rides.. save soem of the persimmon seeds for me. Been lookign for some.
yep, that the greta thign abotu seeds, liek somebody said what you may think is common is "special" to somebody else.
You got them. the persimmons are nice large ones too. got China berry too. Got to get out there and look some more.
Thanks, Star.
It's fun to see the news of our Joy spreading around DG! Thanks, all. She's the most exciting seedling we've ever had! ;-)
Not sure I'll be collecting many seeds this year... but I'll be along for the ride, chatting on the swap threads!
Critter... She sur e is a bundle of joy and Blessings and prayer s are being sent for your family. Counting down the finals days for ya. prayers of gratefulness being sent to the birth mother too, for being so unselfish.
Ya need to get one of them baby packs and come swap tiem gey Joyanna starte d out right helping to count seeds to put into envies. 1...2...3...4...5. LOL
Critter, so happy to find out from the grape vine that you have been blessed with a baby! Now, please tell me, where is the thread with photos??!
Here ya go, t:
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1028942/
Violet cleome,here she is
Very pretty Cleome! If you can put my name on a few seeds, I'd sure be grateful!
Tonya
You got it. Want me tosend them to you?
My camera has been on the blink, but some friends got some nice pics over the weekend. These Datura are huge, they reseeded from last year. Over the weekend we got to watch them open- it was such fun! I'll be saving plenty of seed from them :-)
I've finally got some Y'vonne's Salvia!
My Y'vonne's are finally starting to bloom. I am waiting for them to get more blooms and I'll get pics to post. They are a lot taller than the Salvia splendens I've grown in the past but not as tall as Y'vonnes were in her pics. I think they are about 3'? I probably didn't give them as much fertilizer and / or compost as she did.
Meredith, these Y'vonne's are about 2 1/2-3' tall too. They're in a really dry bed and I think that kept them smaller. I'd like to try some in a large container where I can baby it and see if I can see one reach 6'.
'Lemon Aura' Sunflower, from seed I harvested from my plants last year. Last years plants were pathetic, and I almost didn't even harvest any seed from them. I'm so glad I did now- these have been gorgeous. The only difference I'm seeing from last years plants is some (about half) of the blooms have some brown in the center. The centers are still full of petals and I rather like them, although 'Lemon Aura' typically should be solid yellow.
THose are very nice Sunflowers! : )
Another 'Lemon Aura'
This is one of the large decorative Dahlias from seed. There has been a gorgeous assortment of colors among them!
Benary's Giants Zinnias with more the seed grown Dahlias behind them:
These are the only Torenia I had any luck with this year, but they've done beautifully. I think I'll just use them for container plantings from now on, where I can keep them evenly moist.
A yellow Scabiosa from the swap. Only one bloom showing in this pics, but there are hundreds of blooms on them now. They're not very showy in the daylight, but at night they simply glow.
Self sown Nicotiana alata with Dahlias and Sedum.
Thanks Rides! You can send them to me now if you want (I can give you postage) or you can set them aside for me for the swap. Which is easier for you? Why don't you dmail me and we'll work it out. Thanks again!
Beautiful pics Neal! I was thinking of trying Nicotiana next year. Has anyone in 8b grown them? I had so many plants suffer from the heat that I'd like to be a little more educated before trying new plants next year.
Tonya
This message was edited Aug 25, 2009 9:39 AM
Neal I really like that Nicotiana is it as blue as it looks or is the camera messing with me lol I didn't get my lipstic shades planted this year and I really hate it but I did get the ones from the swap planted. I'm pitching the Perfume Lime seeds from Chele in my moon garden hoping they reseed for next year those are perfect for that garden I'm always looking for more flowers for that spot.
This is my first year with a purple/blue Torenia I got a plant from my favorite nursery and it's driving me crazy waiting for seeds how long I wonder does it take that thing to make seeds it has been dropping flowers for a long time now I have just fell in love with this plant! I have mine planted a little ways away from my holly tree trunk and it has stayed moist there all year so they have really spread around. I've decided I will have that one and Diamond Frost every year from now on :) That DF does well in the shade or the sun my kind of plant it's new for me this year too guess that sucker doesn't make seeds :(
Neal I'm wondering if your Daturas are the Inoxia they look like mine but don't think I have ever seen mine curl down on the flower like yours are doing. They do show the flower curlling in the plantfiles:
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/139385/
Mine are perennial here I dug one up from the back that was there last year and it has a tint of lavender on the edges of it I didn't watch the blooms last year because it was so far down my back yard couldn't see it up close when it bloomed in the evening so it's different than the ones that I have by the house.
Forgot to add your flowers are all beautiful!
This message was edited Aug 25, 2009 11:20 AM
Thanks, Lea! Those Nicotiana are more lavender, the sun was setting and that gave it the blue hue. I'm totally loving those Perfume Lime too! Will be saving loads of seeds from those. I believe you're right on the Datura, it looks like a match to D.inoxia. I wish there was a ruler in one of the pics- my blooms are about 5-6"in diameter. I have another I think is D.wrightii, with 3" blooms, but more of them. I'm saving plenty of seed from both of them. I've heard trailing Torenias are sterile and have to be propagated by cuttings. I wonder how difficult it would be to overwinter one inside? I'm thinking maybe like an impatien.
Here's the best pic I have of the mixed color Dahlias from seed. My lovely sister (not biologically, but my sis nonetheless) had chosen this spot for a friend to take her picture. It looks like the Dahlias are way tall, but they're really in the 4-4/1/2' range, and she's kneeling in front of them.
Don't forget how teeny and pale Torenia seeds are... you'll see papery little "pods" where the flowers were... tear one open (over a dark colored surface), and you'll find seeds like very fine grains of sand.
Those dahlias and your sister are both gorgeous!
yES, VERY GOOD PICTURE.