Seed Snatchin' XIX

Holy Cow.

Suzy how do you know this stuff?

LOL! You've seen some of the questions I ask on the annuals forum and the seed saving forum, so you know for a fact I am ignorant as heck about most of this seed stuff....

I had a bumper crop of some really, really great dahlias this year from a single trade of Bishop's Children's seeds and have been harvesting seed pods all summer. I know about the bad seeds because I was fortunate enough to get GOOD seeds right in the beginning so I knew what they looked like, and felt like. Weezingreens taught me that (in a thread) you can feel a good seed because it sort of rolls "right" between your fingers....she said it more eloquently, though (and more understandably! LOL!)

I can't believe how wonderful those Bishop's Children dahlias are -- actually they'd be Bishop's grandchchildren LOL. Seriously! 8-9weeks to boom -- ****but do not wintersown them, they are one of the most frost sensitive plants there is****. 40-44 inches tall (for the most part, some are shorter) and no staking. Vibrant colors all over the place -- purple, magenta, red, scarlet, coral and an unusual orange. Some of the plants have flowers that look just like the ones in the book I had about Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs -- sort of fake-perfect. (Even as a kid I wondered what those flowers were because I had never seen anything like them.) They have been blooming non stop, but one finally has slowed down and I'm pretty sure it's bloomed out. It surely must be!

The Monarchs are feasting at them, but all of a sudden a couple days ago I noticed a million Painted Lady butterflies and they are all over them, too. It's as if they are interchangeable as nectar with the Zinnias for those 2 kinds of butterflies

If you're in a trade or swap wqith me (and you are in at least one!) you will get a pack of these. I'm sending them everywhere.

Oh, and the milking of the pods I learned from some dahlia breeder in Oregon. I didn't really know what she was talking about until I had babies of my own. :) I am getting rid of all the seed because I'm going to try my hand at tuber-storing. Oh, and the seeds do NOT come true at all in terms of color. Anything but what the mother looked like is what I hear. The plant habit and flower shape might come partically true, tho.

Suzy

I love planting dahlia seeds indoors in the spring. They come up so fast and look so good... it is encouraging!

LOL @ "Bishop's grandchchildren"

Jane: I chuckled at that name last night when I read this thread. I did find the origin of the name on Park's website.
"As its name suggests, Bishop's Children is a descendant of that most famous of all Dahlias, Bishop of Llandaff. Grown extensively in England (where it's one of the most popular plants of all time), Bishop of Llandaff is certainly magnificent, but we think that its "children" are even more impressive for modern gardens!"

Karen

It lives (on a bus no less)! been a long time since I checked in to make sure y'all are behaving.

HEY! Weezins, I had no idea the seed snatchers had continued on!! I'm here to snatch with you!
:)

Susan

Yes!!! WZ, You mentioned the best part of them -- how encouraging they are in spring. Once they germinate, they grow faster than anything I've ever grown from seed, even marigolds and Zinnias. Somehow it makes you feel like you are doing everything right with your seed sowing and that spring really is just around the corner.

And it's nice to plant out plants that are (nearly) as big as the garden center's -- for once. I usally plant out minute little seedlings and hope they grow.

I have a seed snatchin' story, but it's not seeds. About a week ago I took my mom out to lunch and there were some guys at her retirement center planting out mums in the big bed out front. I asked for their empty pots and took them all. But there were still sooo many left (with plants in them). I got thinking about those and went back, only to find everybody goes home at 3:30. But the plants had to be somewhere, so I looked around and sure enough they were in the back of a pickup truck. A really tallpick up truck. So I jumped on the bumper and stuck a "casual" card (like a business card, but it just has my name and phone number and a drawing of a gardener on it) inside one of the pots with a request for a phone call when they had all the pots emptied. Yesterday I got the call to pick up the pots and there must have been 1500 little 2 1/2 x 4" pots with trays and another 200 5" round pots to be picked up. So I now have as many pots as I can use this year and next year -- just for the price of asking.

Suzy

Yea!! :)

While walking the other day, I seed snatched from a gorgeous deep purple butterfly bush at the park, put the seeds in my jacket pocket.I was so excited! ...I forgot about the seeds and washed them away...note to self... bring coffee filters when walking and keep extra coffee filters in car for seed snatching expeditions.

Susan ~ I thought about dumpster diving when at Home Depot the other day...trees and shrubs waiting to be thrown into the dumpster behind the store...my heart raced and I thought..this is easy..I don't have to even go into the dumpster...as I drove closer, I drooled overtime..I prepared to put my car in park " Oh, this is so easy!" me thought. Then a police cruiser drove slowly by...my heart sunk , I adjusted my mirror and drove on home. Drats..One day...

I went rock raiding again... this time on a pile of fieldstone that is sitting on a highway "cloverleaf" near my house. It has been there FOREVER! Hey, I'm a state taxpayer, right? It's on state property, right? As soon as I had my hand on the first stone, a state police car went screaming by (not after me, TG), but you should have seen me jump!!!
It didn't stop me from poaching the stones, though!
I'm going to be posting these from the state pen pretty soon!

I've been putting away stacks of used pots and cell packs that folks bring back to me. They hate to throw them away, and it saves me time and money... besides, it's less to add to the landfill! The best scores are the bigger pots... 6" and up. I prefer the square 3.5" pots to the round ones, so I have stacks of them sitting in my little storage cabin. I wish I could get them to my fellow snatchers at a reasonable rate. I'll have to see how many I can fit in a flat rate box. They're probably conversation starters, as well, since most say 'Alaska Growers' on them.

Garden.. I've been in the same predicament.. but didn't want to chance it either! It's not worth getting slammed by the police! They have locked dumpsters too.. so no going in! Nows a great time to get plants from all the subdivisions that are swapping out their plantings for winter. I've never been turned down when I've pulled over and asked for what they are pulling out.. And it helps that I speak spanish! yes, and being prepared for a "seed dive" is always a good thing!

I have so many pots that I'm going to give some to a fellow DG'er and then I have to thin some of the rest by offering them for free on craigs list.. it's just TOO much!!

Susan

I'm going to box up some pots for the Senior Center. They have a little plant sale every spring, so maybe they can use some.

Snatched some Datura seeds while delivering fundraising letters for a local food cupboard. Not sure what to do with them Anyone?

And when I joined DG a couple of years ago, I found a simple pattern for a seed envelope made from folded paper. Is there anyone who remembers that and and can point me to it?

Thanks,
Ann

Ann - look under extras (i think)! at the bottom of the page (I think)

Ann - look under extras (i think)! at the bottom of the page (I think) :
Vhttp://davesgarden.com/files/seedpackets/

My fellow snatchers,

I come to you tonight seeking help. While exiting the hospital today I happened upon what at first appeared to be a stand of heuchera. They were larger than most with beautiful snowy white scapes, and I hastily grabbed a handful of seed pods while making my way to the car. Unfortunately my dad (the ex-patient) was in no mood for seed snatching so I had little time to really look at the plants. When I got home and looked at my ill-gotten booty I realized that the seeds are way too big to be coral bells, but I'd sure like to put an ID to them.

Does anybody want to hazard a guess?

I didn't even think to grab a leaf to help identify the plant, but there were a couple of pieces that might be of help.

Boy, I can't tell you. You may have to make a trip back to the hospital! How big are the seeds?

Don't know what they are.. but I'm real proud of you! :) Is it far to go back and snap a pic of the plant?

Susan

They look like Palace Purple Heuchera to me -- why don't you think they are Coral Bells? Pop open the pods and they are little seeds, right?

Suzy

Suzy I saved some of my own Palace Purple and the seed is so small on those that I can't even see them! Smaller even than irish moss or creeping thyme. The pods on my Palace are about the size of the actual seeds on this plant. These seeds are much larger.....about the size of nicotiana or snap dragon seed. I don't know if the same plant can vary that much?

Unfortunately the hospital is about 60 miles away and hopefully I'll not be returning anytime soon. I guess if all else fails I'll plant the seed and wait to see what happens.

I've got lots of purple palace and I've never had seeds like that before :) Too bad it's so far away... I had a crazy thought.. it depends on how crazy you are.. Find out who their grounds maintenance crew is and call them to see what it is :) That may be too much for some, but I'm kinda crazy like that :) I often start sentences with, "I know your going to think this is crazy".... but there is this plant that looks like this growing out by the.. and I just can't stop thinking about it.. see I'm a really passionate gardener.. Is there any way you can help me find out what it is?? self talk--(so I can grow the seeds I snatched off it with the knowledge of knowing what it is?) I have a feeling that if your on this thread and you bravely got those seeds.. that you can be crazy like that too!
:)
Susan

Susan I wouldn't have any trouble asking, but I doubt the groundskeepers would know. I imagine those flowers were put in by a landscaping firm and all the groundskeeper does is mow around them. Dad might possibly have an apt. to go back for a check-up and if he does (and he's in a better mood, LOL) I'll ask him to snap a pic for me.

There you go... using that gardeners passion to figure out a way.. Hope your dads Okay :)

:)

Susan

You might try the plant Identification forum. I don't know if there's enough to ID but it's worth a try.

I can recall a similar incident when I could not resist snatching some lovely columbine seedheads down at our local post office. I couldn't recall what color they were, and they don't bloom until the second year. I started some of the seeds with tags that said 'post office, front bed'. The next spring, I stopped at the post office and followed the groundskeeper around the yard as he mowed the lawn. When he stopped, I said, 'Jerry, what color were those columbine in the front bed?' He said,"I took too many drugs in my youth, so my short term memory is shot.... I have not idea." It is a mystery that will be revealed when they finally bloom, I guess.

HA!

We need the forensic seed files forum!

:)

When I go on a real seed snatchin' trip, I take the camera. If there are any blooms left, I've got a picture as a reminder and a potential image for my seed trade packets.

ohhhhhhhhhhh Wow! I love learning from the professionals!

love Jerry's response. LOL I can't tell you how many times I've answered "too many drugs as a teenager" when I draw a blank on something.

I've also learned to take the camara with me when I deliberately set out on a snatchin' expedition, but I also have little bags labeled "yellow flowering shrub in front of Menard's" or "grass from Northtown Mall" that will have to wait for IDs if and when they reach maturity.

oops, spelling

This message was edited Oct 27, 2007 1:40 PM

It's always interesting to look through someone else's seed snatchin' stash. Some baggies have no labeling, others have a name with question marks after it... the more question marks, the less sure the name... some describe where the seeds were taken more than the actual plant. Marking the location is fine, if nothing changes the next year. Unfortunately, landscapers can move things around in a year.

I snatched some seeds today but didn't have my camera with me... Vining plant, seed pods definitely looked like morning glory but about half the size of the common one, leaves were heart-shaped, few remaining flowers were tiny orange-red blooms like miniature morning glories. I'm going to see if I can find it in PF...

Hoorah!! http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/51759/

:-)

Those are lovely little climbers! Good detective work!

:-)

From the comments in PF, it seems they're a hummer favorite, too. DH was pretty tolerant, waiting in the car while I grabbed seed pods (we parked right next to it!), but he was happier when he found out "his" hummers would be enjoying it!

I snatched enough to share... do you want some, WZ?

If they are morning glory type, they probably won't grow here. I've even tried MGs in the greenhouse and they just mildew. My mother used to grow a trellis of morning glories and moonflowers when I was a child in Indiana, and I always loved them.

right now my mind is full of visuals of lucille ball in the "long, long, long trailer" (not sure how many longs are in there!)....she collected large rocks wherever they went (i do that too...even have one from a bumpy mountain road my husband took me on to see if i'd get contractions...didn't work, but i have the rock and a couple of weeks later had my daughter!)....any way, i see lot's of containers & bags & various items to trim plants with and possibly a disguise to look like you are the plant caretaker.....

i've snatched some seeds from around my yard...some hosta seeds, daylily seeds and some that i'm not sure of

i'll have to add baggies & scissors to my emergency diaper kit....

Lala_Jane...
To Me...Your Seed Pods and Seeds Above Look Like 'Penstemon'.
Especially if the Little Pointed Seed Pods/Shells are Hard as Rocks.
Great Find!

That's it! Husker's Red Pennstemon! White flowers, foliage that turns red and is shaped like a maple tree (more or less) Good Call ZZ!

Suzy