Seeds I've Never Bought

16 years ago

I went through my "Seeds I Have" file and organized a wintersowing schedule for myself this year (!). In the process, I came across a few seeds that have become staples in my garden over the years - I received the first set from trades and have never bought them since. The three that jumped out at me were gilia capitata (blue thimble flower), coix lachryma-jobi (Job's tears - love this! Save my seeds every year for more plants), and talinum paniculatum (Jewels of Opar - which now reliably reseeds for me).

What seeds do you continue to cultivate that you have never bought?

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Comments (16)

northforker
16 years ago
I received 2 packages of Cleome "Queen" (cherry and violet) from a friend when I first start gardening about 9 years ago. This patch of flowers has reseeded (abundantly!)in the garden for years and since I've started seed collecting, I now have tons to share.

I have also begun in the past 2 years to be very on top of saving seed from annuals I want every year that the seeds are relatively expensive to buy. Two that come to mind are plectranthus silver shield and ornamental purple millet. I feel so "rich" when I have containers overflowing with these in the spring!

So funny that you mentioned Jewles of Opar drippy... just yesterday I went out and collected more seed as a gardening friend had told me last week that she uses it in containers and the color looks great. I'd never thought to do that and now I will start some just for containers.

I hope lots of people will write in their ideas. It will be a great way for us compulsive seed savers to know good plants to invest it!

Nancy
lblack61
16 years ago
I only have two. As the years go on, I might wind up with a much longer list:
1. Zinnia "Thumbelina"
2. Dahlia "Uwins Dwarf"
I like the latter because not only do I WS the seeds I collect from them, but I also dig up the tubers for ones with colors that the bees work made that are even prettier than the original.

L
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bulbs
16 years ago
The first one that comes to my mind is anise hyssop (agast.) - sent to me a few years ago, w/s, and re-seeds every year. This year have received seeds for 2 other kinds of agastache - hope to have as good results with them.

A couple others that I've never purchased include purple coneflowers, penstemen, and canterbury bells (campanula). They all re-seed or are perennials that come back on their own, and I share the seeds with others.

Going to try a few others this year, and may have more to add later.
drippy
Original Author
16 years ago
One I forgot until I walked by it on my morning walk today was nicandra physaloides (shoofly). This was another I received several years ago as a trade, and it reseeded almost obnoxiously for awhile. Then, after I pulled enough of it out, it seemed to stop coming around for awhile. I had one plant crop up this year in the new white garden I'm growing - it grew up almost as tall as the nicotiana sylvestris (5 ft) it was next to. With its blue-purple flowers - a muted tone, really - next to the white it was stunning. I'll have a lot of reseeders from that next year, LOL.
etravia
16 years ago
Bright Lights cosmos
{{gwi:93549}}

Tall Zinnia's
{{gwi:446207}}

Portulaca
{{gwi:433404}}

Morning Glories

{{gwi:441954}}

Gotta have em all!

Maggie
nocturnal_sprout
16 years ago
hi, I am new. Never have WS'd before, but my mom and I are compulsive seed collectors. Some of the ones we always seem to have, taking them wherever we go, never having to buy...

Morning Glories, blues
Calendula, yellow/gold
Cosmos, mix
Evening Primrose, yellow

We have some really old seeds that we will have to test out here at our new place. Even my grandmother collected seed, we inherited one she labeled "Mile a Minute Plant" and I can't wait to see if it's still viable. Anyone have any idea what that may be?

And we inherited some new flowers at this new place; gaillardia, hot pink hollyhocks, and lambs ear...I have collected enough from those 3 to last the rest of my lifetime. I am off to start my trading lists.

I really enjoy reading what all of you have to contribute, especially the great pictures and the help for us newbies.
trudi_d
16 years ago
No reason here to buy hibiscus, black-eyed-susans or calendulas.

You might not want to find out of the Mile a Minute plant is viable ;-O

Here is a link that might be useful: Invasives
nocturnal_sprout
16 years ago
Thank you so much Trudi. Every day I learn so many things and that, I would guess, is the most important one today!!
trudi_d
16 years ago
I know your Grammy saved those seeds and they're special, but it's always best to remember our elders with kind thoughts. Once you grow them Grandma may not be so special anymore. Eek.
MGPinSavannah
16 years ago
Torenia and impatiens always come back for this newbie here in Savannah, and basil is close to being a weed. One of the nurseries I go to snarls about the volunteer mint, but it smells so good when you walk on it! Moss roses come back too, thank heavens. They thrive in the hot, hot summers we have. I've just found this forum, and I'm going to have to figure out what else I can "winter" sow here. We hardly have what most people would consider a winter at all. Does anyone know if winter sowing squash would get them up strong enough to have a chance against The Dreaded Squash Vine Borer? That would be a blessing to this squash lover!
GawdinFever
16 years ago
Ohhh! Too many to list, as I save most 'everything'! LOL

Cosmos
Salvias (especially Coral Nymph and Red Variegated)
Morning Glorys
Rudbeckias
Coreopsis (several kinds)
Coneflowers
Dianthus
Petunias
Verbena Moss
Calendula
Nicotiana
Agastache blue
Cerinthe Kiwi
Malva Zebrina
Nigella
Oxypetalum caeruleum (Tweedia)
Balsam Mixed
Baptisia Tinctoria
Bellflowers (Blue & White)
Black-Eyed Susans
Papavers
Celosia (all kinds)
Cypress Viens
Gaillardias
Columbines
Hyacinth Vines
Jacob's Ladder
Larkspur
Rose Campion
Sunflowers
Zinnias (Every kind imaginable!)

Here is a link that might be useful: Just Some Pics
vera_eastern_wa
16 years ago
Cleome is one for me that has NEVER worked out. Dunno why but it's a dud here. Now this year I did get 2 seedlings and one did grow up to be a whole 12" and flowered, maybe the re-seeders will be better!
I save everything too for trades, BUT I don't need to keep any of the following for myself since they just do their own thing for me. Maybe I should though to spare myself the work of endless thinning!!

Johnny Jump-up....they came with the place and have never left and probably the ONLY thing I've never gathered seeds from! They pods pop very quickly :O
These I received in trade and I can't foresee them every going away!
Amaranthus 'Intense Purple'
Sunflower (various)
Nicotiana alata
Verbena bonariensis

Then their are a number of ones I've boughten just once!
Catmint, Clarkia, Aster Crego, Larkspur, Nigella, Rudbeckia, Ratibida, Gaillardia, Sweet Alyssum, ect.

From some of the stuff you all mentioned I've received a few of in this years trades so I got more come-backs to look forward too :D

Vera
tiffy_z5_6_can
16 years ago
There's many, but the one which grace my gardens the most efficiently are the Black Eyed Susans. They show up in any blank space and fill the gardens quite well I must say! You can spot them in lots of places in the photo below. All are from two plants brought over when we purchased this house in 2001. Every 'sibling' is different in colour and character - I even had some double bloomers last year.

{{gwi:134309}}
Julie
16 years ago
Hmmm- Favorites are,
Impatiens balfourii- Poor Man's Orchid
Impatiens cristata -
Dicentra-
Talinum - Worster's Gold
Amaranthus - Love Lies Bleeding, Bronze Marvel and/or Intense Purple- they look the same to me-
Knautia Macidonica - non stop color!
Perilla - YUM! The peppery taste in salads and sandwiches can't be beat!
Nicotiana- the smelly ones just keep mixing and crossing and blooming all over!
Rudbeckias- yes, well, many are annuals here- and the birds plant them where they will.
Phlox- plain old perennial garden and the annual Phlox of Sheep-
Cerinth major-
All manner of dianthus- cosmos- cleomes- poppies- sunflowers- candy lilies and black berry lilies...
It is quite funny that any of these keep reseeding and coming back year after year all by themselves- I do gather seed like a mad woman- and there are critters all over who hunt and gather like I do.... And well- I like to think I do a good job of weeding every once in a while...
GawdinFever
16 years ago
tiffy: Love those rocks!!!
PVick
16 years ago
Love your gardens, tiffy!!

Nothing much reseeds for me up here, except MGs (which reseed in the astroturf) and alyssum, with an occasional malva. But I do toss seed pods over the railing sometimes, so I'm sure there's a lot of reseeding going on down below! Just doing my part to beautify the community ...

gawdinfever, took a look at your pics. Man, that red celosia surely IS awesome!

PV

Seeds I've Never Bought

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