Ornamental seed saving circle 2016

[Hector]

Super :)

[Hector]

[Silverleaf]

I found a little bag of honesty seeds that I must have collected a few years ago (either from a verge or sneakily from someone's garden, because I'm not above taking a few seeds here and there).

I don't know whether I have annual or perennial types but I'm going to sow them anyway and see what happens...

[Digeroo]

I am not sure about annual or perennial honesty mine is biennial.  Sow late winter and it flowers the following year.  Basically the seeds sow themselves in the autumn and germinate early spring.  So if you sow them I would suggest February or March.  They are very hardy.  The other thing is that you need to keep half the seeds to sow the following year or you get one year off and one year on.

[Silverleaf]

I was going by the name, Lunaria annua. Wikipedia says it's an annual or biennial, but there's also a perennial species.

Thanks, I'll throw some seeds somewhere in the autumn and let them take their chances. ;)

[sunloving]

How is everyone doing?
My yellow antirhynums are all pink! And so I think I got my labels mixed up! But they are still a lovely single colour suite! Other flowers are a bit slow to flower in this cold damp weather. I'm going to save single colours of my statice if anyone is interested, the yellow is lovely.
Come on the sunshine! X sunloving

[Deb P]

I've grown loads of dahlias from seed the past three years, what are the chances of them coming true? Any tips on drying the seed heads, can they be cut off to dry so the plant will continue flowering?

[sunloving]

I've grown loads of dahlias from seed the past three years, what are the chances of them coming true? Any tips on drying the seed heads, can they be cut off to dry so the plant will continue flowering?

Hi deb I think the chances are low because they are insect pollinated and have such a lot of pollen,and the seeds we get are always mixed. i think if you want to propagate a special one  save the tuber and take cuttings in the spring is the surest way. The old flower heads are soggy and so give em a squeeze in the early days to get rid of the water. But I have t successfully had seeds of any of mine because mine are mostly doubles,  so will have to wait for someone who has to enlighten us both!
I'm excited to see what my Pom Pom seedlings flower like! There are buds but nothings broken out yet!

[Deb P]

I've had some lovely flowers from my Pom Pom dahlia seeds, one orange one is really multi stemmed snd flowering it's head off! I keep mine in pots and move them depending on what colour they turn out to be, I've grown some Bishops Children from Sarah Raven this year and they are brilliant and have been flowering for a month already..

[sunloving]

I've had some lovely flowers from my Pom Pom dahlia seeds, one orange one is really multi stemmed snd flowering it's head off! I keep mine in pots and move them depending on what colour they turn out to be, I've grown some Bishops Children from Sarah Raven this year and they are brilliant and have been flowering for a month already..

I'm jealous I didn't even have a dahlia bed until  june , because I didn't have a plot until jan!  and so there's a bit of catching up to do! However I do have a secret weapon my dads a keen dahlia grower and brought me thirty cuttings of my favourites from his collection, but this was so late that my seed grown Pom pons are going to beat them. Fingers crossed for s dry august and lots of lovely flowers. It will definitely be a tuber wrangling autumn, might have to get a shed builtto cope!. Good luck with the seed saving keep us posted on how it goes. X sunloving

[Deb P]

I just kept mine in their pots and overwintered them in my cold greenhouse, I only lost a couple. I am terrible at labelling them though, so am endeavoring to be better at that this year!
I've only been growing dahlias from seed a couple of years, I thought them a bit too.....loud before, but I'm a convert now. I quite like bright clashing colours at the moment, mixed pots of bright magenta/ red/purple/orange flowers together, more subtle combinations in other bits of the garden. I'll take some pics later!

[Deb P]

Here are a few dahlias I've grown from seed:
Mixed various yellows, overwintered in an old water tank..
New Bishops Children grown this year
First year orange pom pom.....

For some reason these are loading sideways....... there aren't like this on my tablet?!!

[Hector]

How attractive is the Bishop one...lovely :)

I don't know if folk like them, but I have a lovey 3-4 foot tall Crocosmia called Lucifer.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/gardening/article-2719835/Why-I-love-Lucifer-A-metre-high-sprays-blazing-red-flowers-Crocosmia-Lucifer-adds-touch-devilish-drama-high-summer-garden-says-Monty-Don.html

[sunloving]

How attractive is the Bishop one...lovely :)

I don't know if folk like them, but I have a lovey 3-4 foot tall Crocosmia called Lucifer.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/gardening/article-2719835/Why-I-love-Lucifer-A-metre-high-sprays-blazing-red-flowers-Crocosmia-Lucifer-adds-touch-devilish-drama-high-summer-garden-says-Monty-Don.html

I like them they are a great back of the bed plant. Wonder if they come true from seed? X sunloving

[markfield rover]

I love a dahlia too, all fur coat and no knickers ! I have some from the National collection so if I get any seed and you don't mind a gamble I'll pop some in. Otherwise I am keeping an eye on various seed heads might add Cleome ooh thoughts of next spring.

[sunloving]

Hi all, how is everything going, I think another three weeks or so might help us gather in and dry seeds to share.

I think we should all collect what calendula we have to share flower types and then just share some of our good doers, what do you think.

I think I'll have lots of pink mix antirhynums, blue boy cornflowers, cerinthe, maybe pink mix hollyhocks.
Not yet gathered everything in for a full list. X sunloving

[markfield rover]

I have 5 /7 varieties done and dusted! Should we wait until after Christmas to do the business? Would hate to compete with the Christmas post, and it would be such a lovely parcel to start the new year.. Thoughts?  I am happy to do the honours but only if no one else wants to do so. Cheers.

[Robert_Brenchley]

I've got nothing done unfortunately due to illness. I should have something next year.

[sunloving]

I think maybe have a week or two to gather things together after Xmas get the decorations down and root out the propagator!  I can't remember what I have saved . Mark field rover that's a great offer. If you can pm everyone on the thread your address and we send you our addresses in our parcels? Would that work . We could set a deadline of say 30 th jan for us to get things to you? What do you think? X sunloving

[markfield rover]

Oaky doaky...  Any thoughts on what postage might be? I'll start pm- ing Tuesday ..stand by yer beds....

[markfield rover]

It looks like we are...Sunloving..Jayb...Hector...Deb P...Silverleaf...Debs...ed dribbles...Robert Benchley...Markfield rover..  I'll pm my address I am guessing people will put some stamps in the parcel and I will return any not needed.