OK... so I've found this great site (DG) and have a new home with some plants around. Problem: I don't know where to begin! How do I collect seeds from my yard to trade? Is there a book called "Preserving Seeds for Dummies?" What if I don't know what it is? This book should include simple instructions on how to do it, which ones to collect, which ones not to collect. To some people a weed is a sought-after plant. Are seeds the only things I want to save? I just need a way to get started... some advice.
Thanks.
Pat
Newbie requests help
pat,
you can always take a picture of the plant and maybe someone here could id it.
Look around at everyone seed list here--- wants/haves/will have /Im sure you can get some ideas there.
Yes there are people that ask for chickory n sweet anns lace-here they are weeds and yellow verbascom-weed!
I saw today rhody's are people weeds-here they are cherrished. passion vines-I long for...weeds in some place-(send me there)
I save seeds from almost everything!
You"ll get the hang of it_i did with out the book for dummies! Glad you found us!
dori in Michigan
"From Seed to Seed" by Suzanne Ashworth is one of the best and most informative books. It's geared more towards veggies though.
This is good website to start
http://www.sover.net/~subzero/
Dori's right - the best info comes from other gardeners. If you post a question on the forums you'll get losts of help!
Pat, welcome!! I just started here a little while back and the poeple here are GREAT. Happy Gardening and have fun. Tonia
hi Pat! Welocome to DG. This place is a blast.
I learned myself how to collect seeds. And most of the plants that I have I too didn't know the names of.
I started hitting the catalogs and online plant companies like Thompson and Morgan and found all but one of the plants I have. I'm still trying to figure out what this last one is.
I'm sure if you just read the posts and ask some questions, you'll catch on. If you would like a book to learn from, I would suggest listening to poppysue. She's the wizard of DG. (She won the award!) :o) (Blushing poppysue?) *hee,hee*
Heidi
Wayman, Your local library will be a font of knowledge in gardening. Go look in the Gardening section or ask the librarian, you will get lots of help for free!!
All good advice, Wayman,
In addition, I would send for every gardening catalog I could find. Not so much to order things from, but for the pictures and info found within them.
Seed and plant catalogs, cumulatively, constitute the greatest plant encyclopedia in the world.
Great advice, guys... Thanks!!!
Also, I was able to find the name of the purple tree. It's Jacaranda. and...http://www.virginiahamilton.com/_southafrica/jacaranda1.html Here is a view of some of them from above. Nice bright color! You can see what I mean by the purple tree. I got plenty of seeds, but I'm not sure they can be grown from seed; but, hey!.. might as well give it a shot!
Thanks all.
Pat
There's all sorts of useful information throughout the forums here at DG. I found a couple of real good seed germination databases that were recommended there. I looked up your jacarda and it says to just cover seeds in peaty media. Germination occurs in 10 to 15 days at 70 to 85F. Good luck!
Karen
Thank you very much, Karen... only 9-14 more days to wait!
For those who give the url's. I love those, and always click on them. I find some very interesting things there, and get so sidetracked it takes a week to get back!
Happy Easter!!!
Pat