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5 Easy Annual Flowers for Beginner Seed Savers

September 16, 2019

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What’s the easiest way you can make a dent in your gardening budget?  Saving seeds!! It’s so easy to save seeds from cut flowers and other annual flowers that you can use next year.  While some seeds require a little more know-how than others to save, I’ve compiled some of the easiest flower seeds to save–even if you don’t know what you’re doing. Here’s my list of 5 easy annual flowers that are perfect for beginner seed savers.

1. Marigolds

The humble marigold is one of the simplest flowers to collect.  Wait until the flower has dried up, squish the little pod, and voila!  Tons of seeds for next year’s flower bed with little effort.

Just make sure you collect at least one flower pod of every colour you want to grow next year.  I thought I had done that last year, only to realize that I only collected orange.  Whoops!

Wait until the marigold pods are completely dry before you store them. I’ve stored them early before, thinking they were dry, only to have them go moldy in the bag because it was too soon.

Next Spring, plant the marigold seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before you intend to transplant them, or direct seed for a later bloom.  Give them adequate sunlight and water, and you’ll be rewarded with a beautiful and cheap companion flower for your vegetables.

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Related: 36 Flowers to feed your Flower-Arranging Habit all Summer Long

2. Nasturtiums

Like marigolds, nasturtiums are excellent companion flowers in the vegetable garden.  Some gardeners will even use them as a sacrificial plant–they expect that bugs will eat the nasturtiums so they leave the vegetables alone.

Once the nasturtium is done blooming it will leave a pod like the one below.  Collect the pods and let them dry until they turn brown and slightly shrivelled.  Store in an air-tight container and start 4 weeks before the last frost in the spring, or direct seed.

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Related: 14 Companion Flowers for the Vegetable Garden

Check out this short video for exactly how to seed save 3 easy cut flowers.

3. Poppies

This year was my first year growing poppies, and I am in love.  I have no idea what this variety is, but even though it was short blooming, I just loved how interesting it was!

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When the poppy is done blooming, it will make a beautiful seed pod like the ones below.  Let them dry out for a few weeks and crush them open to reveal tons of tiny seeds.  Use them in baking or save the seeds to grow more next year.

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Even though I didn’t plant any new poppy seeds, these poppies reseeded themselves without my intervention.

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3. Sunflowers

Sunflowers are an old favourite, and easy to grow.  If you have kids or grandkids, consider planting one for each of them to be their special flower.  Kids love the big flowers and tall size.

Once the flowers are done blooming, let the seed heads dry out, then collect them and bring them indoors.  Roast the seeds for eating (if it’s an edible variety), or save them for planting next year.

If you leave the seed heads out for the winter, the birds will thank you!

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If you want sunflowers as cut flowers, the branching varieties will give you a lot more blooms–and seeds to save!

4. Zinnias

It’s no secret–I’m in love with zinnias.  There’s so many colours and sizes that growing one variety simply isn’t enough for me.  Grow them for late-summer/early fall bouquets, or use them in the vegetable garden as a companion flower.

Once the flowers have dried up, like below, collect the petals for planting next year.  I’ve started zinnias for many years, and I find that if you’re planning to put them in your vegetable garden, it’s best to direct seed.  If you want them for pots, you can start them 4-6 weeks before you need them.  Zinnias have always been very successful for me when I’ve started them indoors.

Seed saving annual flowers is way easier than I could have imagined.  Here's 5 perfect-for-beginners plants to collect seeds this fall for a frugal flower garden next spring. #annuals #annualflowers #seeds #seedsaving #beginners #garden #gardening #flowergarden #flower #tips #ideas

If you’re starting zinnias indoors, plant more than you need, as I find that they can be difficult to harden off and I end up losing more than I imagined I would.

Want to save more money gardening?  Here’s 5 simple things you can do this Fall to save money next Spring.

5. Calendula

The process for saving calendula is exactly the same as saving zinnias.  Let the seed heads dry out, break them up, and collect the seeds.  Calendula is a wonderful companion flower and is great in homemade salves and soaps.

Seed saving annual flowers is way easier than I could have imagined.  Here's 5 perfect-for-beginners plants to collect seeds this fall for a frugal flower garden next spring. #annuals #annualflowers #seeds #seedsaving #beginners #garden #gardening #flowergarden #flower #tips #ideas

Are there any other annual flowers that are easy to collect seeds from?  Tell us about it in the comments!

Seed saving annual flowers is way easier than I could have imagined.  Here's 5 perfect-for-beginners plants to collect seeds this fall for a frugal flower garden next spring. #annuals #annualflowers #seeds #seedsaving #beginners #garden #gardening #flowergarden #flower #tips #ideas

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Kristen Raney

Kristen is a former farm kid turned urban gardener who owns the popular gardening website, Shifting Roots.  She is obsessed with growing flowers and pushing the limits of what can be grown in her zone 3b garden.  She also loves to grow tomatoes, but oddly enough, dislikes eating them raw.

11 Comments
Filed Under: Backyard Florist, Flowers, Gardening Tagged: annuals, Autumn, calendula, easy, fall, Flowers, nasturtium, poppy, seed saving, sunflower, zinnia

About Kristen Raney

Kristen is a former farm kid turned urban gardener who owns the popular gardening website, Shifting Roots.  She is obsessed with growing flowers and pushing the limits of what can be grown in her zone 3b garden.  She also loves to grow tomatoes, but oddly enough, dislikes eating them raw.

Comments

  1. Mellissa says

    October 3, 2018 at 6:42 am

    Oh thank you for this info, I do this with morning glory, because I love to use it along fencing. Although you don't always have to collect the seeds-I've discovered they fall and grow pretty much anywhere. ;)
    Reply
    • Kristen Raney says

      October 5, 2018 at 8:46 am

      That's what I've heard from my friends who grow them!
      Reply
  2. Janice Staniec says

    July 27, 2019 at 3:16 pm

    Even though I leave my poppies to self seed (they are on the boulevard instead of grass), I want to collect seeds from some of them. I have marked the ones with unusual flowers for this purpose. Does one have to let the seed pod dry on the plant or can one take it off the plant and let it dry inside? Janice
    Reply
    • Kristen Raney says

      July 29, 2019 at 9:30 am

      I think you can let it dry inside.
      Reply
  3. Pat Federico says

    September 3, 2019 at 10:05 am

    When I cut the scapes from the garlic plants I let them dry and the collect the seeds in the pods and sow them in the fall. It takes about two seasons for the new garlic to grow this way but I think it is worth the wait. This year to my surprise I had over 100 garlic bulbs to harvest and most were big and beautiful just like you would buy in the store. I also collect the seeds of penstemon and scatter them back into the garden. I do leave some on the plants for the birds.
    Reply
  4. Janice Staniec says

    September 7, 2019 at 10:33 pm

    I collected some marigold seeds earlier this year - by accident - when I wanted to deadhead them and pulling on the dead bloom resulted in pulling the seeds out. I put them into a container, closed the lid. Checked them later, and they had stuck together and molded. I realized that they may have been damp from rain. But I also wonder if one needs to let them dry out before putting them away, whether it is into a sealed container or a paper envelope. And should one remove the remaining bit of bloom? I planted some vanilla cream marigolds this year (really a light yellow) and I want to keep them for next year. I should have lots and lots and lots and lots of seed if I harvest and store them correctly. And, in case you have any doubt, Morning Glory is an excellent self seeder. To be safe, it is a good idea to collect some seed as well, just to be safe. I think it is the easiest plant to collect from.
    Reply
    • Kristen Raney says

      September 13, 2019 at 8:56 am

      Yes, I've made the same mistake before too. They need a lot longer to dry out than one thinks. I currently have all of mine drying in a shed outdoors, and I'll take them in sometime in November.
      Reply
  5. Kathleen Nall says

    September 17, 2019 at 11:54 pm

    Thank you for this great information. I had good luck with snapdragons this year and am so happy because they were my dear Grandmother's favorite. I believe she just let the seeds fall to the ground and the next year...up they would pop! So I thought I'd try that...do you have any thoughts? I love your FB page and just read some of your blog. You are inspiring and just sweet!
    Reply
    • Kristen Raney says

      September 18, 2019 at 3:31 pm

      Oh what zone are you in? I'd love that if my snapdragons would reseed themselves!
      Reply
  6. Josianne says

    September 18, 2019 at 11:58 am

    Milkweed. Great plant and helps monarchs.
    Reply
    • Jen says

      April 29, 2020 at 3:11 pm

      Thank you for posting that. I am working on a butterfly garden now. I am also looking for plants that the bees love. We must have a bee hive near us due to all the honeybees that come.
      Reply

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Welcome!

Hi, I'm Kristen and I help new gardeners learn to grow their own vegetables and beautify their yards. I also share recipes that use all that delicious garden produce. Grab a coffee (and your gardening gloves) and join me for gardening tips, simple recipes, and the occasional DIY, all from the lovely city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

P.S. First time gardener? You'll want to download the quick start gardening guide below!

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Welcome!

Hi, I’m Kristen and I help new gardeners learn to grow their own vegetables and beautify their yards. I also share recipes that use all that delicious garden produce. Grab a coffee (and your gardening gloves) and join me for gardening tips, simple recipes, and the occasional DIY, all from the lovely city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

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Growing eucalyptus for the first time this year? Growing eucalyptus for the first time this year?  A new post is on the blog to walk you through it.  While in theory eucalyptus is easy to grow, it's challenging in my zone 3 garden for three reasons: ⁠
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➡️It needs a long time to mature⁠
➡️I have a short growing season⁠
➡️I live in a cool climate, and eucalyptus grows better when its warm.⁠
⁠
That said, you can see by this picture that it can be done!!⁠
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Are you growing eucalyptus this year?
Oh friends, if any of my nice, curated photos sums Oh friends, if any of my nice, curated photos sums up how this last week went, I think it's this one.  Babies crying, trying to stay calm, outwardly looking like it's all under control, but feeling very overwhelmed.⁠
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This post isn't gardening related, so feel free to scroll by if you're here only for the gardening content.⁠
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Thankfully it's January, and I keep reminding myself that the Internet will not break if I don't keep to my self-imposed posting schedule.  But it doesn't make a week full of teething-and-not-sleeping baby any easier. ⁠
⁠
Felicity slept through the night for the first time ever last Monday, then proceeded to punish us with frequent wakings and terrible sleep until Saturday.  And as tough as this is in regular times, in Covid times its extra frustrating because I don't have my village.⁠
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I can't just call up another Mama friend and go for coffee at her house.  I can't take my son out for a Mommy-and-Dominic date because everything he'd want to do isn't really much of an option.  There's no playgroup or play place to just drop in on.  And forget just taking everybody out to get groceries just for a change of scenery.⁠
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I know people have way more serious problems than this, and I hope I don't sound whiny and entitled, it's not my intention.  Please know that I'm very grateful for my family and job and that so far we've been healthy. ⁠
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A lot of you who follow me do so in part because you are also juggling life with very little people through this strange time.  I hope that in occasionally sharing my struggles, it makes you feel better about your struggles. (You're struggling too sometimes. . . right?)
Do you tend to plan out your garden to the nth deg Do you tend to plan out your garden to the nth degree, do you just wing it, or are you somewhere in-between?⁠
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I tend to plan it all out, and then when I actually get out in the field, so to speak, the plan changes a little bit. ⁠
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If you need a garden planner that's both pretty & practical, my garden planner is available in the ebooks section.  It's only $9 and has lots of upgrades from the previous planner.  Use code CANADA if you're Canadian to account for the exchange.⁠
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P.S. You can see exactly what you're getting in the video--no surprises. ⁠
P.P.S  I get my planner bound and printed at a printing place.  Lots of people just print their own and put the sheets in a binder.
Are you gardening in containers this year? When y Are you gardening in containers this year?  When you're shopping for vegetable seeds, look for varieties that have names with words like patio, tiny, small, etc.  While lots of vegetable varieties will do fine in a container, you'll have an easier time with ones that are specifically bred for that situation.⁠
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📸 by @blushbrandphotography
I'm living the pepper dream in this photo. While I'm living the pepper dream in this photo.  While these ones are a bit on the small side, who doesn't want ripe peppers in July in zone 3?!?! ⁠
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Over the years I've gotten better at growing peppers, and I promise I'll spill my secrets in February when it's actually time to start them.  Until then, get yourself all or one of my four favourite varieties: ⁠
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🌶️Carmen⁠
🌶️Escamillo⁠
🌶️Candy Stripe⁠
🌶️Hungarian Hot Wax⁠
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Do you have a favourite pepper variety?⁠
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Have you flipped open a seed catalogue lately? It Have you flipped open a seed catalogue lately?  It's so easy to get completely overwhelmed, especially if you're new to gardening.  Why are there so many varieties of everything and which ones do I choose?⁠
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Here's how I try to narrow it down.⁠
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🌤️ Short growing season like me?  Try and prioritize varieties that have short dates to maturity.⁠
🥗 What do you or your family actually eat?  While I think you should always try a couple of new things, there's no sense in planting a giant garden filled with vegetables that you're not going to cook with. ⁠
🥒 Do you care whether your vegetables are heirlooms or hybrids?  Heirlooms are the kind that have been around for 50+ years and you can save seeds from.  Believe it or not, this year we're prioritizing hybrids for some of our garden.  The Hermit @mgsraney is obsessed with production this year, so anything that's going in "his" greenhouse better be able to produce a lot.  I'm using more heirlooms in my "glamour garden" as we call it, because I want things that are pretty and I can save seeds from.⁠
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What do you prioritize when you're picking out seeds?⁠
Last week we started thinking about our plans for Last week we started thinking about our plans for cut flower gardening, now this week we start thinking about plans for our vegetable gardens.  Unlike cut flowers, there's not as many vegetables that need to be started ridiculously early.  However, it's still fun to plan and dream and get your thoughts sorted.⁠
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I'm curious--what size of garden do you have to work with?  Are you on an acreage or farm, city backyard, or do you have a couple of pots on an apartment patio?⁠
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As for me, I have quite a mix.  I have my container garden on my backyard deck, the small cut flower garden in my yard, then vegetables in raised beds.  We also garden at my Mother-in-law's acreage, so there's a giant garden over there where we're figuring out how to grow food on a larger scale.  Then finally, sometimes my Mom grows things for me in her garden if I'm nervous that I'll ruin them in my own garden--call it a backup garden if you will.⁠
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📸 by @blushbrandphotography
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