Sunday, August 1, 2010

From scratch ...

and also from the soil rising upward!  Usually food is my topic of choice, but during this past week I have been enticed with the plants growing around our home.  Summer in the Pioneer Valley is so colorful - filled with annuals  and perennials.  The local Strawberry and the local Blueberry crops have been sweet and also abundant.  In my last post I mentioned that while growing up my family always had two large gardens filled with veggies.

My Hubby & I continued my tradition.  We lived in an apartment in a suburb and had a great landlord!  He knew that we were dreaming of a garden ... someday.  Well, his thought process was why wait?  Part of his side lawn was plowed, so we could have our wish!  Now, that was totally cool!

We grew corn, cantaloupes, squash and all of the customary veggies.  I canned and froze veggies to my heart's content!  After we purchased our house and moved into our home, my DH and I were raising a family and gardening was in the past.

However, there was always a place for flowers and flower boxes.  Flowers are just gorgeous!  Earlier this summer our Salmon colored Daylilies blossomed for a month.

Last year after having a difficult time locating Zinnia plants that would grow to a certain height, I decided to plant Zinnia seeds.  Until a hard autumn frost arrived, the vibrant colorful display of blossoms were so pretty!  One of our planters contained deep purple New Wave Petunias.  Throughout the growing season, I saved the extremely delicate small black Petunia seeds and also many Zinnia seeds.

This past week has been sunny and bright.  The seeds that I saved and planted in early June (from last year's abundant crop) is now blossoming!  A few Zinnias and one Petunia!  There are so many buds visible!  How cool is that?!?


We will have a very large bouquet of Zinnias in our yard starting this week!  (I did keep my distance from the Bee.)  Cardinals and Blue Jays sing in our trees, but a ceramic bird makes his home on my pot.  :)

Yes, I will be saving seeds, again, to plant next year!  I will plant the seeds 2 weeks earlier.

Do you save flower seeds to plant the following growing season?

We are enjoying their beauty!
         

5 comments:

Stacey said...

Hi Judy! I never have saved seeds. I have planted zinnias, morning glories and daisies from seeds. They reseed themselves and come back each year. In fact, the morning glories and daisies have reappeared for years.

I have to confess that it gets so hot here (today it was 103) that by the time we should be out gathering seeds...I'm just ready for fall. :)

Carol said...

Your flowers are gorgeous! Love all three you posted, such pretties!

Mary Bergfeld said...

I should be embarrassed to admit this, but I have saved seeds only to forget where I have stashed them. I'd make a rotten squirrel :-). I love the "wave" petunias. They can't be beat for prolific flowering. I hope you are having a wonderful day. Blessings...Mary

Velva said...

beautiful! Thanks for sharing your Summer flowers with us.

A Spoonful Of Sugar said...

Can't say I have ever saved seeds. Love your flower pics!