Saving Marigold Seeds

Marigolds 
(File Photo)

The question is, "Can you harvest and save Marigold seeds to plant next year?" The answer is yes! This is another annual flower that is easy to grow and it begins with planting seeds. That is- if you do not purchase small plants to place in your garden. If you have these beautiful bright flowers growing in your garden or flower pots now, save some flowers, dry them and save the seeds. Plant the seeds next Spring! 

Like saving Zinnia seeds, saving Marigold seeds is an easy process. The colorful flowers are snipped from the stems and placed in a cut down tissue box to dry out. After the flowers dry out the seeds can be separated. A Marigold seed is slender and black. It is attached to the petal that is now brown. 

Dried slender black Marigold seeds
(File Photo)

Save those dried seeds in business sized white envelopes that are labeled/ sealed. The seeds will be ready to be planted next year! 

Happy Gardening!

~Saving Zinnia Seeds~

Colorful Zinnias
(File Photo)

If you have been enjoying the colorful beauty of Zinnias in your yard this summer you may want to save the seeds from these plants. Next Spring the saved seeds can be planted in your garden. It could be a repeat of the red, pink, yellow and white flowers that added so much color to your yard this year. 

The process is easy. Snip the colorful flowers from the stems in your garden and place the flowers in a container. The containers I use are cut down tissue boxes. I put the containers of cut Zinnias in our garage while the flowers dry out. The air circulates between the flowers easily while they are drying out.

Zinnias drying out.
(File Photo)

After the flowers dry out it is time to harvest the seeds. Pull the petals from the short stems and you will find tear shaped seeds. Sometimes, the seeds do not break away from the dried petal easily, so I leave the dried petal on the seed and plant "as is" the following Spring. I store the seeds in business sized envelopes that are labeled/ sealed.

Tear Shaped Zinnia Seeds
(File Photo)

When you save the seeds from your current crop of these beautiful flowers you will have so many seeds to plant next year.

Enjoy!
Happy Gardening!

 

~Saving Zinnia Seeds~

"Tear Shaped" Zinnia Seeds
(File Photo)

This is the time of year when I usually save many of the bright Zinnia blossoms that usually add so much color to our garden. After drying out the blossoms I usually harvest the seeds to save and plant the following Spring (after danger of frost is gone). These flowers attract the Monarch Butterflies. 

A Visitor to Our Garden
(File Photo)

I wrote usually, because this year there really are not many Zinnias in our front garden. However, there is one plant that is producing bright orange blossoms. It was a different growing season this year for my Zinnias. In the Spring the seeds were planted and they did sprout. However, there was a family of bunnies that wandered into our yard. Those tender, small green sprouts made a delicious meal for those hungry bunnies! Only one sprout was able to hide from the bunny family. That sprout hid among the white and pink Vinca that we planted after realizing that the Zinnias would no longer be a reality. Yes, I will save the seeds from the orange flowers and plant them next Spring. Maybe I will plant them in a pot on our deck where the bunnies cannot find them.

The Surviving Zinnia Plant
with a blossom and 2 buds 

For those of you who do have beautiful colorful Zinnias in your garden, save the seeds to plant next year. It is an easy process! Cut the colorful blossoms and let them dry out. After they dry out, harvest the seeds and place them in a labeled paper envelope. It is cool to save the seeds and plant them the following year. 

Click here for my complete Instructions for Saving Zinnia Seeds. 

I wrote the instructions above a few years ago, but I have been using this process to save Zinnia Seeds for so many years.

Happy Gardening!

     

~Saving Zinnia Seeds~

Time to save the Zinnia blossoms and dry them
for next year's bountiful crop!

It's time! For what you may ask. If you have a garden with beautiful colorful Zinnias it's time to save the blossoms, dry them out and then harvest the seeds for next year's crop. It is a very easy process! So great being self sufficient and saving the seeds rather than purchasing commercial Zinnia seed packages next Spring.

After snipping the colorful blossoms you want to save, place the blossoms in a box to dry out. I use a cut down tissue box.

Blossoms drying out

 

After the blossoms dry out, separate the seeds from the dried blossoms by pulling off the petals. The seeds are "tear" shaped and attached to the petals.

"Tear" shaped Zinnia seeds

   
Then, place the treasured seeds in a large labeled envelope and save to plant next Spring after the danger of frost is gone in your area. 

Our Zinnias attract Monarch and Swallowtail Butterflies and Hummingbirds in addition to adding so much color to our yard.

Happy Gardening!

~Saving Zinnia Seeds!~

Beautiful Zinnias!

Do you have beautiful colorful Zinnias growing in your garden(s)?  Are you interested in enjoying the flowers again next summer?  You can next year without purchasing new seed packets or small plants from your garden center!  Save the seeds from this year's pretty flowers and plant the seeds in the Spring after any possibility of frost in your area is gone.  

Saving the seeds is not difficult!  It's at this time of year that I snip the colorful flowers from the plants growing outdoors and save them in cut down Kleenex boxes, so the flowers can dry out. 

Colorful Zinnia blossoms drying out!

After the flowers dry out, harvest the seeds by pulling them away from the stems of the plant.  The seeds are "tear" shaped.

Blue arrows point
to the dried out Zinnia seeds!

After harvesting the seeds place them in large labeled envelopes and seal.  You are on your way to enjoying beautiful colorful Zinnias again next year.

Enjoy!
Happy Gardening!

 

Saving Marigold Seeds

Big Orange Marigolds

O.K., now that we have saved the Zinnia seeds it was time to also harvest the Marigold seeds!  In the Spring we purchased Marigold plants that would have BIG yellow and orange blossoms.  We had visions of beautiful brightly colored blossoms in our gardens.  Well, all did not work out exactly as we had wished for.  Our drought brought a reduction in outdoor watering in my town.  Still our flowers managed to do o.k.  The new mulch helped a lot! Unfortunately, the rabbits enjoyed dining on the yellow Marigolds! The yellow flowers and the green plants! The orange colored flowers- they did not bother with.  It sure was strange to see large plants with bright orange flowers next to very small green plants.  Transplanting 2 of the small plants into pots was a good solution to seeing yellow blossoms this summer!  They are doing very well.  Those plants were definitely survivors, so I decided to save some of their seeds.  

Once again, the process of saving Marigold seeds is easy:

The colorful flowers are snipped from the stems and placed in a cut down Kleenex box to dry out.  After they are dry, the dried seeds will be separated from the stems.  The Marigold seed is slender and black.  It is attached to the dried out brown petal.

Saved Marigold Seeds
(File Photo)

The dried seeds will be placed in business sized white envelopes that are labeled/ sealed.  I saved seeds from both types of plants- the plants with orange flowers and the plants with yellow flowers, so they were saved in separate containers. 

**Note:  In your garden as the flowers dry out on a green plant, you can also save these dried flowers. Just pull the dried petals off and save the seeds.  This skips the process of drying out the blossoms yourself!  

Happy Gardening!
Enjoy!              

Saving Zinnia Seeds

Our bountiful Zinnia harvest!
September 2022

It's apple season in New England! Pumpkins and Butternut Squash are now available, too!  That can only mean one thing.  It's time to save the Zinnia seeds from the plants that are blossoming in our garden. I save seeds from one year's crop to plant in the garden the next year.  It's the perfect time to harvest the seeds.  

The process is very easy:

Snip the colorful flowers (that are blossoming) from the green stems and place the cut flowers in a flat container to dry out.  I use cut down Kleenex boxes.  By sniping the fresh flowers I am able to choose what color Zinnias I am saving.  The boxes are placed on a shelf in our garage. The air circulates between the flowers and they dry out very well.  Some petals turn brown.

Colorful Zinnia flowers will be drying out.
(File Photo)

 
After they dry out, it's time to harvest the seeds from the dried out blossom.  Pull the petals from the short stems and you will find the cherished tear shaped seeds to plant in your garden the next year. I store the seeds in a business sized white labeled/ sealed envelope.  Usually, I need more than one envelope.  There are times when it is difficult to separate the seed from the dried petal, so I save "as is" and plant the seeds "as is" the following Spring.  It all works very well!

Tear shaped dried out Zinnia seeds
(File Photo)

After continually saving the seeds in September and replanting them, for about 5- 6 years, you will find the blossoms from the saved seeds getting smaller.  That is the clue to purchase commercialy packaged seeds from your garden center the following Spring.  After planting the new seeds and enjoying the beautiful colorful flowers, save the seeds again in September.

If you have Zinnias blossoming now, save the seeds for next year's beautiful garden!  It has been a tradition in my family- a tradition for decades.  Zinnias have always been a favorite flower!

Enjoy!
Happy Gardening!      

~Saving Zinnia Seeds~

Zinnias
2021

We've been enjoying our colorful, beautiful Zinnias in our gardens all summer.  Now, it's time to save the seeds from this year's flowers.  You guessed it!  I am already thinking about next year's bountiful crop.  For that reason this past week many colorful flowers were snipped from the plants and placed in cut down tissue boxes.  These snipped flowers are drying out in our garage.   

Every year during the month of September I continue this tradition.  The red, pink, orange and yellow snipped flowers will dry out and then I will be able to separate the "tear shaped" seeds from the dried out petals.  

Saved Zinnia Seeds
(File Photo)

 
Then, the Zinnia seeds will be stored in labeled sealed envelopes.  It's amazing how many seeds a gardener can harvest!  After 5- 6 years the colorful flowers become smaller, so I purchase new seed packs the following Spring.  The process continues for another 5- 6 years. 

It's great to plan ahead!
Enjoy!          

~Saving Marigold Seeds~

Yellow Variegated Marigolds

Our Marigolds have been beautiful this summer!  Yellow, orange and yellow variegated flowers blossomed continuously.  The plants that produce the yellow variegated flowers were planted from seeds.  I had purchased the seeds in early 2020.  Now with mornings a bit chillier, I decided to save some of the seeds from this year's crop, so we could enjoy this variegated flower again next summer.

So, this past week I snipped off many of the bright blossoms.  They are now drying out in a cut down Kleenex box in our garage.  In a few weeks the colorful blossoms will dry out.  I will be able to separate the dried seeds from the dried stems. 

One end of a dried Marigold seed is slender and black.  The other end is tan.  See photo below:

Dried Marigold Seeds
(File Photo)

Then, the seeds will be saved in a paper envelope that will be labelled.

Next May we will have many of these saved seeds to plant after the danger of frost has passed in our area.  Marigold seeds are easy to grow and the blossoms are beautiful.

We will Enjoy again!

  

Saving Zinnia Seeds!

The cooler mornings are here!  It's great that we are not in yet another heat wave.  The beautiful Zinnias and Marigolds have added so much color to our yard again this year.  Now, it's time for me to start snipping the colorful Zinnia blossoms to save and then dry out.  Attached to the flowers' petals are the seeds for next year's beautiful crop.  This weekend I started harvesting the colorful blossoms.  I snip them when there are not bees buzzing in the immediate area.  Some flowers are yellow and pink.  Others are white, beige and red.  What a colorful assortment!  It's great to choose what colors to have next year.

The snipped blossoms will dry out in cut down Kleenex boxes in our garage.  In a few weeks after the flowers are dried, I'll pull the "tear" shaped seeds from the dried petals and then save the seeds in a labeled envelope.

"Tear" Shaped Zinnia Seeds
(File Photo)

This has been a tradition of mine for, well, years.  I guess, decades.  While growing up my family had two large veggie gardens.  At the end of one of the gardens we planted three rows of Zinnias.  They were just gorgeous!  In autumn we always saved enough seeds to plant the following year for the following crop.

No longer do I take care of a veggie garden.  We purchase our supply at the local farm.  However, bring on the colorful flowers that brighten any day any week in the summer and in autumn!

I'm planning ahead for next year!
Enjoy!

           

Saving Zinnia Seeds

This summer and now in autumn we've been enjoying the colorful, abundant Zinnia blossoms in our gardens.  Shades of pink, yellow, orange and white blossoms were admired day after day.  Now that October is here it is only a matter of time when a frost will end the Zinnia season!  It has not happened yet, but that is in the near future.

For that reason I've been snipping off the colorful blossoms to save.  Then, they are dried.  Cut down tissue boxes make great storage boxes for the blossoms to dry out.

Looking at the first box of my collected colorful blossoms, I noticed that there were no white ones.  Another trip to the garden and a few more blossoms were snipped- this time only white ones.

The flowers are now dried, so next week the seeds will be harvested from the dried blossoms.   To do this:  Pull the dried petals off the flower and "tear drop" shaped seeds will be found.  These are the seeds to plant for next year.  I will store them in a labelled sealed envelope.  Next spring they will be planted in our gardens. 

This has become a tradition with me- saving the Zinnia seeds.  After saving and then planting the saved seeds for about 5 years, the flower blossoms will become smaller.  That is my clue to purchase new seed packets to plant the next year.  Then, the saving and replanting starts again.

Enjoy!
Happy Gardening!

           

Saving Zinnia Seeds

Sometimes the Zinnias Attract Butterflies!

It's autumn!  It's time to save those Zinnia seeds from the plants you've been enjoying all summer.  You know you'll want to enjoy these beautiful colorful flowers again next summer.  So, save the seeds from this year's crop and plant them in your flower garden next spring!  In other works, it's time to plan ahead.

Before we get a frost this autumn I harvest the colorful flowers (no stems).  That frost will end my Zinnia crop!  Place the flowers in a cut down tissue box.  Then, place the box in front of  a window to dry them out.  After the flowers have dried, pull off the outer petals.  No longer are the petals colorful, but dried out.  Each petal is attached to a "tear shaped" seed.

"Tear Shaped" Zinnia Seeds

Those seeds are a gold mine of new plants for next year!  The red, the orange, the pink and the yellow flowers!  Save the seeds in an envelope for next year.  I always seal it, so none fall out.

Next spring, take out your envelope of seeds!  You will be so happy that you saved those seeds!  Find their spot in your garden & plant them in the warm soil.  Cover with a light coating of soil.  Water.  Before you know it sprouts will pop up & your new Zinnias will be on their way!

This is a tradition with me!  After perhaps 5 years the flowers start becoming a little smaller.  Then, I know it is time to purchase the seed packets to plant.  Until then, I'll be saving my colorful Zinnia seeds!

Enjoy!
Happy planting!

         

Looking Forward- Zinnia Seeds!

This past weekend some of the colorful Zinnia blossoms were snipped off from the plants.  My plan has started.  After these flowers dry, I'll save the seeds for next year's gardens.  The bug?  No, that's not part of the plan.  :)

Enjoy!

 

Saving Marigold Seeds

2nd Generation Marigolds
(File Photo)

Oh yes!  It's that time of year!  Time to save the Marigold Seeds!

All summer we've enjoyed our vibrant yellow & orange colored Marigolds.  They add a beautiful touch of color to our yard.  The plants with the orange flowers are 3rd generation from a single plant that my wonderful cute grandsons gave me for Mother's Day 2 years ago.  I have every intention of keeping that original plant family going for more years.  It's becoming a FuN tradition!  Saving the seeds to plant again next spring is my plan!  It is easy & does not take much time.

Saving Marigold Seeds

1. Look for the dried blossoms on the Marigold plants (in lower left photo above).
2. Break off the dried pods.
3. Place in an open envelope to continue drying.
4. After a month or so- when completely dry, separate all of the seeds from the pods.
5. Place seeds in another envelope.  Label/ date/ seal envelope.
6. Store until next year!

Marigold Seeds

This year I used a long planter on our deck for my "special crop"!  It's been a hot dry summer, but currently, these orange colorful flowers are overflowing the green planter.   

3rd Generation Marigolds- 2016

Looking forward to the 4th generation Marigolds!  I've started saving the seeds to Enjoy again!

3rd Generation Marigolds

Marigold Blossoms!

Saving seeds from Marigold & Zinnia plants is always a FuN thing for me.  Two years ago when my 2 cute little grandsons gave me a beautiful flowering Marigold plant, I KNEW I'd be saving the seeds that Fall.  It would be the plant that kept on growing!

Saved Dried Marigold Seeds
(File Photo)

The saved seeds were planted last spring & guess what?  My new little plants grew & I saved seeds again in the Fall.  This spring the seeds sprouted in a planter & I've been patiently w- a- i- t- i- n- g  for the little plants to g- r- o- w.  Watering, sunshine & patience comes in handy here.  Today the first blossom started to open!
Woohoo!  What cute little plants!

Do you save seeds from annuals to plant the following spring?

I'll be Enjoying these special plants all summer into autumn!