What I learned from saving seed
· 3 min read
If you only take one thing from this, make it the part about wildflowers. Some of this will be obvious; some of it took me years. I keep a short list of things to try next; saving seed is near the top. There is a version of this that is much more complicated. This is not that version.
Second thoughts
Nothing here requires a watering can, though it does make things easier. A secateurs helps, but it is not the point. Here is what shifted, and what stayed exactly the same. If you only take one thing from this, make it the part about raised beds. You can get unexpectedly far with a secateurs and some a steady hand.
Most problems with cover crops turn out to be problems with time. In May the light changes, and so does the work. The slugs got most of the lettuce, but the beans did well. I like perennials that shows the marks of how it was made. I like mulch that shows the marks of how it was made.
What I kept
Leave some corners messy; the insects will thank you. The soil is nicer every year, mainly because I stopped digging it. It took me twelve attempts to see the pattern.
Half of gardening is noticing what grows on its own. Nothing here requires a secateurs, though it does make things easier. A cold frame extends the season by weeks at either end. Compost is slow magic, and it cannot be rushed.
Small things
Saving seed means next year’s garden starts this autumn. Half of the work is deciding what to leave out. For a long time I treated cover crops as an afterthought. I keep a short list of things to try next; weeding is near the top.
- Ask someone at the back garden
- Give planting bulbs a full autumn
- Ask someone at the allotment
Notes along the way
If you only take one thing from this, make it the part about seed trays. For a long time I treated the greenhouse as an afterthought. You can get unexpectedly far with a cold frame and some a steady hand. This started as a quick note and slowly turned into something longer. The best advice I got was simply to slow down.
In July the light changes, and so does the work. It took me ten attempts to see the pattern. For a long time I treated seed trays as an afterthought.
raised bedspruningseed trays