The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Growing => Gardens => Topic started by: greenfingers on September 24, 2008, 09:50:11 am
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Hi,
I am trying to be as thrifty as possible and to try to reuse everything in my garden and recycle what ever I can find and make a use of.
Has anyone tried to dry flower seeds from their crops.
I have some lovely annual Marigolds which I planted with my Lavenders and the colours together are just amazing. The Marigolds are just started to die and I have been collecting the seed heads to dry and reuse next year. I have absolutly loads of them. I also have some flowers in the garden which were here when we moved in and I have yet not quite been able to identify them. I think they are called Monkshead. They are bout 4-5 ft tall and have beautiful purple flowers on them like Delphiniums, I think thay are part of the same family. These have now died off and have produce seed heads with black seeds in them. I assume I can dry these as well and plant next year.
If anyone have any advice I would welcome it and if any one wants some of these seeds to try as well I have mega amounts, just let me know and I can post them to you.
We could start a seed swop, these two are the only ones I have at the moment that produce seeds that I have found I may have some more in the garden. Ohh I have just remembered I have some Sweet peas which have just finished also, they have loads of seed pods on them,
Elaine :ladybug:
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Hiya,
I've found that by either hanging the seed heads (like sunflowers) or placing the seed heads in brown paper bags and keeping them somewhere warm, usually does the trick. I dried peas by putting them on a frame covered in fly-screen material and placed in a sunny window. Have also heard that by putting the seeds on a metal tray and placing in the oven @50*C and leaving the door open,that should do the trick too.
A little tip from the girlfriend.... put the seeds in the freezer over night the day before planting. The sudden warmth the next day feels like spring to them and you can pretty much sow when you want to........ Ree
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Please be careful it sounds like monkshood
The monkshood group of plants (aconitum) is toxic and was used throughout Europe as a wolf poison, & in India as a tiger poison, lacing meat left for the mankillers to scavenge. Several of its common names allude to this value: Wolfsbane, Leopard Bane, Tiger Bane, Dog's Bane, & occasionally, a mite absurdly, Wolf's Hat.