I've been collecting annual and perennial poppies, tall and dwarf foxglove, violas, and peach-leafed bellflower. The kids have fun watching the big annual poppy seedpods shake out their seeds like a pepper shaker. It's so cool to collect seeds and watch how the plants reproduce!

I had hoped to collect Dainthus gratianopolitanus (Bath's Pink/Cheddar Pinks) and Dianthus deltoides, but I swear I'm not getting any seeds coming out of those long-browned pods. Anybody with tips please send them along!

So far just poppies and dwarf bleeding hearts, now's the time I start deadheading, so probably delphiniums in a few weeks, and chinese forget-me-nots next. Can't wait!

I harvested lupine over a month ago and moved on to columbine, poppy, baptisia & globeflower plus I have my eye on the siberian iris. I actually paid full price for two new perennials yesterday at a nursery--coreopsis 'Sienna Sunset' & Shasta daisy 'Banana Cream.' I hope they both produce seeds that come true.
Deanna - I've been watching those ugly dianthus seedheads for weeks myself and have yet to find seeds in any of them. Maybe they need more time?
Eileen

For the Dianthus seeds, take a handful of stems and cut - as though you are going to make a bouquet. Put them upside down in a paper bag and shake. If Ma Nature hasn't sent them all to the wind, you'll see them all at the bottom of the bag.

I do this with a lot of plants I collect for seeds. Just cut the stem and place them in those bags, and then I hang the bags on a 'clothesline' in the basement staircase to dry and pop where it's dark and cool. DH calls it the 'seedline' and the cats do wonder what is in those bags when some of the seeds pop.

tiffy - thanks so much for the tip! I actually grabbed a few of the seedheads this afternoon and discovered a few had small black seeds inside them but most didn't. I like the idea of taking the guesswork (and frustration?) out of it by just throwing them all in a bag and getting whatever seeds fall out rather than meticulously peeling open each seedhead.

Paula, the seeds you sent me in winter 2008/09 have been such a wonderful addition to my garden.

The echs bloomed this year and they are amazing. My red cannas are all from your seeds and they have done a lot to slow down traffic speed on our little country road. And this spring most of the magnificent poppy show were descendants from seedy you sent me.

Nice to hear that this year's seed harvest is going well for you, and thanks for that generous trade 2 years ago that has done so much to get my gardens established. Your seed saving madness is a very wonderful thing!

Lynda

Lynda

Thank you for the compliment.And your garden is wonderful to look at. I love "seeing" it thru the camera. Let me know if you need more seeds.

Paula

I'm collecting seed for the first time - lots of rudbeckia and cleome. Last winter, I asked for ideas for a long driveway bed. You had great ideas and I implemented many of them. Here is a photo from the new driveway bed and photos of seed collected from rudbeckia and cleome last week:

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The cleome and rudbeckias are keepers. Despite record heat, drought, and wind, both are producing an abundance of seed.

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Wow Pam, that's alot of seed. I collected Orange sulphur cosmos and cleome so far. I think I'll collect some Prairie Splendor Echinacea this year, it is absolutely glowing.

Carol

I've spotted some flowers, growing outside the fence, on my walks that I want seed from. Unfortunately, I don't know what they are. I guess I'll just have more plants labeled (who labels really? :) pretty white flower 18".

Carol: I love echinacea - Praire Splendor is really beautiful.

This summer has been brutal. I lost most of my WS echinaceas to the drought. I started more echinacea seed in pots on May 31, will sow more perennial seed in early August. Hopefully, we'll have rain by October when I'll plant them out.

I'm planting a long (700') driveway so I'm hoping the rudbeckias will reseed in the future. That seed is from about 5% of the ruds. Most are still in full bloom. I've never grown cleome before, and am blown away by the amount of seed from a few plants.

ljpother - If you can take photos of your mystery plants, I'll bet someone on this forum can ID them for you.

Pam,

Thanks for the suggestion. However, my daughter has the digital camera in Quebec city and I left the camcorder at my Dads. I've found people on the forums to be helpful. What would be nice is a site where you can describe the plant and get possible ids. I just found out I mislabeled Maltese Cross as garden phlox (that's what the lady that gave it to me said it was :) for a seed exchange. At least they have similar habit and needs.

Pam, that's a lot of seed. How much did you plant? Those rudbeckia..what variety are those. Their centers are so large.

ljpother - People often describe plants on this forum. People are incredibly quick to respond and often ask questions to clarify. Today, I posted a "Plant ID Please" question at 4:19, answers poured in, the plant was identified in a couple of hours. Amazing. The culture of the WS forum is to always help others.

Pippi: I harvested two more bowls of seed yesterday (7/23). The rudbeckia are R. hirta 'Rustic Colors' from Swallowtail. I don't see 'Rustic Colors' listed now, maybe they will offer it again in the fall.

I WS several other R. hirta varieties - Indian Summer, Cherokee Sunset, Denver Daisy, Goldilocks - and also R. fulgida 'Goldsturm.' (I went a little nuts over ruds this year) The other varieties are growing in areas with more protection - they are still blooming like crazy.

I'll get seed from the others when they are ready but don't know if plants grown from that seed will be similar to the parents. Example: Don't know if plants grown from 'Cherokee Sunset' seed will look like my 'Cherokee Sunset' ruds. They may not but I'll WS that seed and keep my fingers crossed. All the rudbeckias are beautiful - despite the awful weather!

I have another 350' of driveway bed to plsnt next year so I'm euphoric to get so much seed!

Pippi - I googled and found R. 'Rustic Colors' on another seed site (link below). I've never used this company so can't vouch for them.

Here is a link that might be useful: R. Rustic Colors

Pam..I came across a great website this morning. Lazy S' farm nursery in Barboursville, Va. allows you to choose a plant and they tell you what's a good companion to go with it. It showed Cherokee Sunset paired with Prairie Sun. I bought some Prairie Sun seeds already from T&M on sale. They also suggested it would go well with Rudbeckia laciniata"Goldquelle" which is Double gold gloriosa daisy. One seed co. calls it one thing, and another seed co. calls it something else. I like the Cherokee Sunset that you have but they also show a picture of same plant but dark colors.
My gosh, if you plant all those seeds that you have gathered, you shouldn't have to buy any seeds this year. Will be looking for more pictures of your beauties.