Here are a few ideas about seed gatherng to help get started for the next season.

Every year many of our garden plants set masses of ripe seed. With the minimum of care, home-saved seed offers an easy method of propagation and an ideal way of raising large numbers of plants.

Step-by-step

Nature will ensure plants self-sow naturally as the aim is to perpetuate the species, but much more reliable results are gained by collecting and sowing them yourself. Another advantage is having total control over where seedlings are planted or sown.

Annuals are some of the best, and most popular, plants to grow from home-saved seed, but bulbs, perennials and even some shrubs and trees can be equally rewarding. Be prepared for some variation in seedlings, especially if collecting from F1 hybrids which are special varieties bred by the seed companies for uniformity and vigour; the seedling produced by these plants is unlikely to have the same properties as the parent plant.
Easy plants to raise from seed

Digitalis purpurea, Foxglove
Verbascum olympicum, Mullein
Lychnis coronaria, Rose campion
Alcea rosea, Hollyhock
Lunaria annua, Honesty
Eschscholzia californica, California poppy
Papaver rhoeas, Corn poppy
Step-by-step

1. Cut off the entire seed headChoose a dry day. Cut off the entire seed-head as soon as some of the individual seed pods look as if they are about to begin to open.
2. Place in a dry paper bagPlace in a dry paper bag and keep in a warm place. The entire seed-head will then ripen in the heat, releasing its seeds.
3. Shake out any remaining seedsShake out, from the pods, any remaining seed and separate it from any bits of seed-head or stem which may be still attached.
4. Store the seeds in a dry envelope. Store the cleaned seed in a small dry envelope, seal and label carefully. Keep in a cool dry place until ready to use in spring.
5. Sow the seeds thinly in pots of compostSow the seed thinly in pots of compost in spring, covering with approximately 12mm (0.5in) of sieved compost. Label each pot.
6. Water after sowing and place outdoorsWater after sowing and place outdoors or in a cold frame. Seedlings appear in a few weeks. Separate and plant out when they are stronger and more developed.

That`s true recycling.