Thursday, November 15, 2007

Saving Seeds

Hi Mary,

It is really too late to be out in the garden but it has been a very warm fall. There is even some green still showing in the grass. We will probably have a really cold night soon and then it will start to look like winter but it hasn't happened yet.

Today Jim and I went out and pulled zinnia, marigold, cosmos and morning glory seeds off the plants from our garden. We have bags full. In the spring we only have to buy seeds if we see a really pretty variety. I really like doing that. I remember doing it in Michigan when I was 8 or 9. We had planted four o'clock seeds and Dad showed me how to get the seeds.
Jim wanted to 'clean up' the garden. I have been trying to train him to a more bird friendly winter garden...in other words, leave the plants over the winter so the animals and birds can harvest some seeds and use the brush for shelter. I don't seem to make much headway. Every year we have to have a little discussion about it. We did put the tools away and got out the winter bird feeder. So we are getting ready assuming it ever snows. The deer have been a little more visible lately. Most of the corn is off so they have no where to hide except shelter belts and woods like ours. They, I think, are the creatures who keep tipping over the pump in the yard pond. I go out every other day and see it tipped into the deep part. I don't know how that is going to work out this winter when we are gone. Once we get snow I will be able to really see who is walking about in the yard. It is amazing how few animals we see considering the evidence of their footprints in the snow.
I should be making plans for the trip to Minneapolis for Thanksgiving but that isn't for 5 days yet. No sense in rushing it.
We will miss you,
Love,
Nancy

4 comments:

  1. I love that picture of your garden. I hope to post soon now, but I'm working really hard. I save seeds too. Hmmm. I think they're in a box in the garage. Love, Mary

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  2. Mine are in bags on the kitchen counter. Some are in envelopes and one type, the red morning glory, is just sitting in a dish.

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  3. I had seeds in ziplocks on the kitchen table until a couple of weeks ago when I found where all my other seeds were, so I put them away. They were seeds from a melon that I bought at the farmers' market (hard to get melons with seeds anymore, huh?) and seeds from some poppies growing as weeds in the cracks of a parking lot in Seattle.

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  4. I have a little trouble using the plastic baggies. I usually don't put seeds into them until the next spring because I have had them mold.
    It is hard to tell if they are truely dry.
    I would probably put them in baggies earlier if I was here in the winter but can't see taking them to Mpls. just to do it in January or February.
    If they sit on my counter then I don't lose them or forget them.
    It is easy to lose stuff when you are gone for 4 months.

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