Caught InThe Act! Seed Snatchers BEWARE!

14 years ago

Just wanted to share a funny experience that I had today to which, I am sure, many of you can relate. Two coworkers and I decided to spend part of our lunch break walking through a park not too far from our office. I noticed several gorgeous plantings of pink and purple Wave petunias that had waaaaay too many seeds on them. Since I really "need" pink and purple petunias for wsing this year, I introduced my friends to seed-snatching. I've been trying to convince them to give winter sowing a chance and explaining how easy and rewarding it is for several months. They seemed to really enjoy the brainless tedium of sorting through the flowers on such a beautiful afternoon. After we'd "liberated" all of the ripe seed heads that we could find, one of my friends suggested that we drive over to the other side of the park where they had some really bright flowers to choose from.

The second bed was also beautiful, it had bright orange and white zinnias surrounding really neat, almost berry-colored cannas. We were so engrossed in the lesson that I was giving them about identifying ripe seed heads and sowing methods, and weeding out a large patch of night shade that I spotted growing amongst the flowers that we didn't even notice a man with a camera taking our picture until he was very close to us. He told us that he was on assignment with the state's largest newspaper, trying to get pictures of people taking advantage of the great weather!! :-)

After a few seconds of intense mortification, I decided to enlighten him to the fact that we were performing a little community service while on our lunch break by weeding the city's flower beds. He thought that it was such a great thing for us to do, especially since we are all State employees, that he asked if he could publish our pictures with a by line explaining what we were doing. Before I could say "no, of course not!", my other friend decided to chime in that they were helping me to gather seeds for my own personal use and gave the reporter each of our names!! I'll find out tomorrow morning if I'll be famous....:-/

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Comments (8)

auntyara
14 years ago
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!!
OMG!!!!!!
JK
It's ok Really!
you were doing a community serves weeding those beds. the seeds were you're meager charge. IMHO
If you need me to sign a petition, I'm there
:) Laura
stlgirl
14 years ago
OMG!

That so could be me one day. I like to take my husband whenever we snatch seeds from the neighborhood parks. He has more guts than I do. Though I find most people really pay us no attention. Most likely think we are strange people picking dead parts off of plants. Growing up we are taught not to pick the neighbor's flowers but nobody ever said anything about seeds!

-StLGirl
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OMG! I never thought there were so many of us out there! I thought I was alone with this bug. It started two years ago on a trip to Florida. I picked up seeds off a small palm at a factory outlet. Came home to my zone 5a and germinated the seeds. They all germinated and I became the father of 30 beautiful Washingtonia Filifera. I guess I must have caught the disease when I picked up the seeds. Well ever since then, It's been all downhill for me. Needless to say that this year's trip to Universal and Disney was nothing short of a carnage. I came home with 4 ziplock sandwich bags full of seeds. If your looking for a cure, don't go there, I tried to look away, to walk past the seed pods dangling in my face. They were all over; up down, right ,left. Dodging one seed made me trip on two. I was outnumbered. I so understand you, my fellow seed snatchers, when you talk about the looks, the stares, the comments and wise remarks we occasionally get. Well to all these people passing comments and judgment I say: Oh for God's sake. Get a life! It used to bother me but now I've accepted myself. I am SeedLova and I'm a seed snatcher please accept me in spite of what I am. If I never find a cure, then the world will only be a greener place. To all you fellow seed snatchers, I now officially join your ranks. PS. No joke, Univeral and Disney is like a candy store for a seen snatcher!
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proudgm_03
14 years ago
I embarrassed my husband to death not too long ago. When out friend is gone DH stops by and feeds his dogs for him. We always passed this beautiful red luna hibiscus that I always admired. We went by one day and the man's garage door was open and I said "If we come back and he's out I'm stopping and asking him if I can get some seeds." He was, and I did. When I went to the van to get something to put the seeds in my husband meekly handed me a baggie from the baggie stash I keep in the car for just those occasions. I almost took the keys when I got out of the van so he wouldn't drive off and leave me!
sandysgardens
14 years ago
It's too funny how some husbands/significant others/children get so embarrassed when we make a comment about some seedheads we see in public places and we want to or do snatch the seeds. But they sure like to show off the results in the yard after a successful year of w/s.

Luckily John doesn't embarrass easy and he has no problem helping me collect seeds when we are out-and-about. He even made sure he had a supply of baggies and little post-its in his vehicle if he sees something I might like.

WhatÂs really great is my 3 Â½ year old granddaughter seesÂ flowers and has to stop to see if there are any ripe seedheads and will request her mom to get her something to put them in for grandma. SheÂs also totally in charge at their house for checking the flowers for ripe seeds. My other daughter laughs at that, but just wait I tell her, her little guy (6 months at the moment) will be snatching by next summer. He already spends a lot of time with me strolling around the gardens.

Sandy
austinnhanasmom
14 years ago
LOVE these stories!!

I am unable to leave the house without baggies and now that this is my 2nd year at it, I know enough to bring a pen and precut pieces of paper. I have the hardest time remembering what is what when I get home.

My daughter, nearly 2yo, can snatch with the best of them!!

I prefer to snatch on my bike (less traceability) and last night while driving through an unknown neighborhood, I spotted 8' hollyhocks and something else with a seed head just SCREAMING my name. My son 4.5yo asked if we were returning on our bikes - YEAH!! He now understands that if we leave the flowers on the plant, we might get seeds.

When collecting seeds in my yard, or the nearby neighbors, I now have a tote of supplies. I'm thinking I need a fisherman's vest, pockets galore, and a waist held basket - HA!

I am becoming the crazy seed lady. DH is no longer embarrassed because he's seen the results of just one WS season, the beauty with cost savings. I also no longer get the eye roll when a swapper's envie arrives in the mail. The PO tried to overcharge for a seed envie and DH said - "go get 'em" when I went to complain - and actually asked what the result was when I returned home (no extra charge).
v1rt
14 years ago
There is a new rule that was ratified a week ago in Illinois. If someone is caught harvesting a seed from a public garden or from a place you don't own, there is a fine. LOL!

I like your story michelleluvsirises!

This is what I did last week at Home Depot. The HD employee was right in front of me while I was asking some questions. Right in front of us was a beautiful plant with spent flowers. I pulled the spent flower right in front of him and then I put it in my nose. I just said "no scent" and I walked away with the spent flower. :D
albert_135 　 39.17°N 119.76°W 4695ft.
14 years ago
In SLC a few years ago someone called the cops on me. I was picking marigold seed on a frosty morning. I was the only one in this part of the small park.

The cop was amused.
just1morehosta
14 years ago
OMG,these stories are just to funny,
micheleluvesireses,i would be mortified!I laughed out loud,let us know if your picture is in the paper,wait a min,this happened the 24th,today is the 26th,so,what happened?

Last year i was at home depot,there was a big pot of White Swan Echinacea,gone to seed.I grabbed a hand full,and put them in my pocket.
Later that night, i thought"What in the world did you just do,that is stealing sister"
Sooooooooooooooooooo,the next day, i had to drive 50 miles,to buy the plant i stole from.I felt better right away.
Maybe if i spied a plant out in the open, i would gather the seed,but never again from Home Depot.HA HA
cAROL

Caught InThe Act! Seed Snatchers BEWARE!

Comments (8)

auntyara

stlgirl

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albert_135 　 39.17°N 119.76°W 4695ft.

just1morehosta

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