I wait til the pods start looking dry and brown before collecting them...sometimes the "seam" on the pod will start to split and that's when you know for sure the seeds are ready to collect. If the pods haven't started splitting yet, I just use garden sheers to snip them off the plant (pulling them at that stage almost always causes them to split open and you'll lose alot of those tiny seeds) If they've already started to split, I hold an envelope open underneath the pod and brush the seeds into it with my finger.
If the pods you collected your seeds from were brown and kinda dry feeling, your seeds should be fine. I've never collected the seed pods while they were still green. The seeds have ranged in color from a medium tan to very black.

Regarding what to grow with Cleome....I usually grow medium sized flowering plants in front of Cleome because the foliage on Cleome tends to get really ratty/ugly at the bottom by the time they've reached the flowering stage. This year I direct sowed Periwinkles and Marigolds in front of my Cleome....looked beautiful. The Periwinkles are still going strong, in fact, and have grown into little shrubs.

It has been my experience that you don't really need to "dry" Cleome seeds if you've collected them at the right time. I store my seeds in little zip lock baggies and put them in a cabinet in my kitchen until I'm ready to sow them. The pods are brittle and fall apart and you need some other form of storage.

Renee

Well thank you for the reply. I think I'll just go back over there and this time carefully choose which pods to pick. Merigolds and periwinkles are a good idea. I'm also thinking about throwing in a couple of Bleeding Heart bushes on each end of the garden. Again ty for the reply.

I love Cleome, and mine is still blooming away out in the garden, although it has gotten a little lanky.

Two years ago I bought some pink, purple and white Cleome. They reseeded abundantly and each year there are more and more seedlings. I think they reseed in colors that are true to the parents, but not sure. I get at least 5 different color schemes in pink, purple, and white. Unfortunately, the only seedlings I could differentiate are the purple ones, because the foliage has a purpleish tint to it.

In the Spring I just move them around where I want them. They're easy to transplant. Also brought some to the local swap and gave some away to a neighbor. Once you get yours established, you'll have them every year if you want them!

Here a pic of cleome from last year (just realized I didn't really take any pics of it this year!) -

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Once you have the plants, they'll reseed by themselves. I grew them for a few years and I always had to pull a ton of them out. When I grew them, I had the tall kind, they'd get to over 5 ft tall. I think it was Rose Queen. After the 1st year, I put peony cages around them. They would get so huge they would tip. The cages really worked well. I also deadheaded them sometimes. Not all at once though. This made them bushier with more flowers. I planted dark leaf coleus in front of them and white alyssum in front of the coleus. I wish I had room for the cleome, but they are so big and I have perennials in that garden now.
Enjoy yours!

Kat