As the Growing Season Winds Down

As October counts down, flowers wither, and signs of the approaching season make their presence known, my garden and all those around it recede and prepare for rest. A part of me is relieved to take watering, weeding, and the associated chores off my to-do list. I will miss the flowers, seeing them in the gardens and the vases I have been able to fill for the past months. But there is a bright side, and its the ability to snip some of the brown flower heads, collect the seeds and plant them next spring.

The process is simple and so rewarding. Bear in mind the collected flowers need to be from “heirloom” or “openly pollinated” seeds, which means the seeds planted will look like the original flowers. Complete process descriptions are available all over the web, and a valuable resource for me has been www.Floretflowers.com (in their free seed saving minicourse under the resources tab).

Here’s the thing about gardening. Sometimes the process works beautifully, other times its an utter failure, or anything in between. And this is what that keeps me and the rest of us hooked – working for the win. Because the win makes me want to dance my happy dance. It keeps me learning, trying, making friends with the pollinators, and feeling the joy of a kid playing in the dirt.