Garden Journal
Finding the Seeds
A Beginner's Guide to Flower Structure
Every flower has the same "basic" structure in that there is the flower, inside is the pistil and stamens (these are the important parts when it comes to seed production) and underneath there is the sepals/calyx to hold the flower all together. Let's see if a picture can make it easier to understand. The first picture is a jasmine blossom. The petals of the flower are white. Internally you can see the stamens and pistil. If you look at the flower facing away from the camera, you will see the sepals/calyx. Bees or other insects come and rub against the stamens to collect the pollen that they produce. When the insect is leaving the flower, it may rub against the pistil and that will trigger seed production. This is the basic way seeds are produced and if you'd like a little more in depth breakdown of the Parts of a Flower you can watch this short but precise You Tube Video: Parts of a Flower
Jasmine Flowers showing Basic Flower Parts |
Poppy Flower Pods Center one is ripe and the two on either side are not quite ready yet. |
Storing the Seeds
Seeds can be stored in a variety of ways. I personally like envelopes that are opaque. They let you see the seeds within the packets so that you know right away that they are not rotting. If you place your seeds in plastic bags, any moisture will remain contained and could adversely affect the seeds within. Some of my gardening friends keep their seeds in old pill bottles. That works too, so long as the seeds are really dry when they are placed inside. Always use clean containers that will be labelled with the name of the plant on the outside. Again I like to use envelopes because I place them into my Garden Journal along with the notes about that particular plant. Make sure you label your envelopes with the flower's name, color, and any other information you might want to keep.
If you are using a different method of storage, whether old pill containers or small jars, again, make sure you label them. Keep all your seed filled containers in a nice box for easy storage. You think you will remember what seeds you put into each jar or pill bottle, trust me, you will not remember. It's much easier to do it NOW!
Cool and Dark and Dry
Seed Collecting is Fun
Beginners will want to start with seeds that are easy to find. Here's a whole bunch that will start you off on the right foot!
- poppies
- Four O'Clocks
- snapdragons
- moss roses or portulaca
- marigolds
- cosmos
- morning glories
- bleeding hearts