Guest Article By Dana Ecelberger

Last month I mentioned singling out the plants in your garden, or on your deck, that have been the prettiest, the tastiest, or the strongest and marking them with a ribbon or some other device. These are the plants that you are going to allow to go to seed. Saving your own seed is a powerful action that signifies faith in the future, planning for the future and rewards awareness in the present. The seed is an ancient symbol of eternal life, the never-ending cycle of life/death/rebirth. Our own children are like seeds who carry us into the future.

Amazingly, a sprouting bean or corn seed looks very much like a human embryo. Try this fun project: take a few bean seeds or corn kernels (you can get these at your local nursery or farm supply) and lay them between two sheets of wet paper towel. Put them in a spot with indirect sunlight and keep moist. In 4-5 days you should see a green sprout emerge from the seed. If you split the seed in half you will find the developing embryo of that plant. The first one I ever saw touched me so deeply I nearly cried; the idea of all the potential just waiting to be awakened in those seeds and in our children was so profound. With proper care and nurturing, both our plants and our children can grow into their destinies.

What a gift then to be able to save our own seeds for next year’s garden, or to give to friends and family with a little poem or wish for the future. Remember last month we talked about deadheading your plants so that they don’t “go to seed”. Well, now I take it all back. We are going to let our chosen plants do their thing now. In general, hybridized plants are not the best for saving seed from as the seed is often sterile (won’t germinate) or won’t come true (a very different looking plant results from the seed). You want seed from the plants that do what you want: the prettiest flowers, longest stems, brightest colors, tastiest tomatoes, lettuce that lasts a long time without bolting (sending up a seed stalk), sweetest berries, biggest broccoli, etc.

The end of the summer tends to be hot and dry, which is just what we need to get “viable” seeds, or seeds that will germinate when you put them in soil and add water. It is very important to keep seeds cool and dry until you are ready to use them, and it is important that they stay dry on the plant while they are ripening so don’t get the seed pods wet when you water (this is not an issue with fruits or fruit like plants.) Fruiting plants like berries, tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, and squash should be left on the mother plant until the fruits are overly ripe. Then the seeds should be scraped off and soaked for a day or more in water until they start to ferment (usually little bubbles form in the water and a kind of vinegary smell will be apparent). The pulp can then be rubbed off of the seed by holding it in the palm of the hand and using the fingers to loosen it. The seeds should then be dried on paper towels until completely dry. Most flowers will have clearly visible seedpods that you will allow to mature on the plant. When they start to turn brown (about a week after dropping all of their petals), cut them off of the plant and place in an unwaxed paper bag to completely dry. You can then just shake the seeds out of the pods and catch them in the bag. Be sure to label the bag with the name of the flower, its color (if you are saving a particular hue) and the date you cut it. I also add the original seed company so that I can later cross-reference it if I need to. I like to use the full Latin name and cultivar, when available. Your label should look something like this: From the garden of… August 30, 2009. Aquilegia Canadensis, “Jack in Breeches”. Original seed from Thompson Morgan. Perennial, 36 inches, blooms in May-July, red and yellow. Hummingbirds like it. Do not store seeds that are not fully dried or they will mold and not germinate later.

It is fun to make envelopes for your seeds, especially if you are going to give them as gifts. To make seed envelopes, use either a large coin envelope or standard card envelope as a template.

Carefully take the envelope apart (steam from a teapot helps to soften the glue holding the seams together.) Trace the shape onto a piece of cardboard (a cereal box is a good thickness and size). Then, use the cardboard template to trace the shape onto a fun picture out of a magazine (gardening magazines are great for this) or calendar and fold into the envelope shape, glue pieces into place. Use a mailing label, or glue a nice piece of plain paper, to record the seed information. For tiny seeds, use waxed sandwich paper folded into an inner envelope shape. You can use a pretty sticker or just glue the flap closed. Now you have seeds of hope for future gardens, gifts or seed swaps.

Have fun!