There’s always more – more to do, more to finish, more to start. But with gardening there’s more to gain, the space you have for growing is beautiful when packed and abundant.

How do we do this on a budget? The joy of seed. Latent new life in its most protected form is now setting and ripening in annuals and early flowering perennials around & about. In truth there is always seed to harvest. But the power of the dry hot days desiccate the parent flower and finish the seed of those early spring plants.

I love local scrumping for seed from roads & paths around Chinnor, or an obliging friend’s garden. At the moment Aquilegia (columbine), Nigela (love in a mist) are good to go. But the season has been slow so you have an extra chance to catch a glance at a good looking Hollyhock or Poppy & revisit later for a seed that will hopefully come true to type and if not there’s always the joy of the unexpected in the unique progeny of the plants you have grown.

𝗦𝗼𝗼𝗻: Calendula (marigolds), Purple Toadflax (Linaria), Holly Hock (Alcea) & annual Opium Poppies (Paparva somnifera) will be dry & ready for collection.

𝗧𝗼 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁: take a paper bag or envelope, so as not to trap in any moisture & rot the seeds. Place over the flower head whilst still attached to the plant, bend it downwards & cut or snap the seed head into the bag. The seeds will be primed for distribution and you could lose them if you pick first. Store in a dry place for early spring sowing next year.

Happy foraging.

𝙒𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚, 𝙇𝙪𝙘𝙞𝙚

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Call: 07737 286784.