Have the seed pods turned yellow yet or cracked open? If they are still green, use a twist tie and cut up some nylons and put this around the seed pod. Using the nylon allows them to expand and continue to do what they need. When they crack open they are ready, I suggest leaving them on the stalk until they crack open. You can cut them before frost and store them in a dry spot until they do their thing. Tree Rats have been know to take off with them here, matter of fact I watched a rree rat do so and about a half hour later this same tree rat was doing back flips, running back and forth, up and down the two trees!

I have a good crop of Cananga odorata seeds ripening currently. Berries are nice and fat but still green. Providing they survive the cockies and the weather (cyclone Ingrid got the lot last time) I will have them available. As they are not viable for very long after harvest I will have to get them out to anyone who wants them within a day or so. I think the best way would be for anyone who wants some to send me a small, self addressed, express post bag (not a document one). I can then send them out as soon as I harvest them. I sometimes have other hard to find seed I can substitute in the event that they don't make it to harvest. Send me an e-mail or post a follow-up and I will send my address. I also have some Bixa orrelana seed available. Brendon

It's an addiction so you'll probably enjoy being out there every day! I'm an addict, too. penstemon bloom, then form little pods that look like popcorn kernels. Let them dry and harden on the stalk. Each kernel has teeny tiny seeds in it. When you crack it open you'll see the baby seeds. coreopsis-the ones I've dealt with formed a small cluster where the bloom was. It's a difficult choice whether to deadhead or let them go to seed. I like the look when they're all deadheaded. The dry head, when pinched open with your fingernail, will have 3 or so seeds about the size of a radish seed. columbine-seed pods are glorious. After blooming there's a crown-shaped pod. Let it dry, but get it before it breaks open and spurts those seeds everywhere. There are teeny sides inside that multi-pronged seed pod. daisies-are probably setting seed now. The petals fall off, but the yellow button center remains and turns a darker yellow. When dry, snip off the head. When you brush your thumb across the yellow surface it will turn into 100s of seeds. Easy to put in an envelope and save yarrow-isn't very pretty as it moves toward seed stage. The large, flat flower heads dry, the vibrant color fades. Again, you have to be patient to wait for it to mature and dry. I cut off the flower head lower on the stem. Once inside, I try to brush, shake the seeds onto a paper or plate. peonies- I researched starting peonies from seed and it sounded like more than I could handle. The directions said to chill the seed for 2 years (in the refrigerator?). I decided that was beyond my skill set although I look at those seeds every year and wonder. daylilies-wonderful seed pods like green eggs at the top of a chopstick stuck int he ground over the bending green leaves. They dry slowly. Once dry (but before t hey break open) the seed pods are so much fun. Each seed is inside a separate little room inside the seed pod like a 3-bedroom apartment for 3 best friends. cosmos-my favorite seeds to save. Petals fall off and the seed head is a small ball. When ripe, the black seeds split apart easily and are hard. If you see anything soft or green, it's too early.

I like to err on the side of caution and harvest them only when they are cracked open. If I see one that is dry looking, I will squeeze it to see if the sections pop open. If they do, I harvest it. If you know when you pollinated the flower, you can figure that after about 42 days (I think that's the right number), the seeds should be ripe. We try to make what we call 'a seed run' every day. As you say, one day, they're green and the next day they are popped open. Karol Emmerich, a well-known hybridizer, cuts her scapes and ripens them in a bucket of water. I guess you can't argue with her success, but I am afraid to do that. The trick is to let the pods get to a certain stage before you cut the scape. I don't know how that would work if the scape has pods of differing ages. I haven't had the best of luck with a pod that gets accidentally snapped off, so I don't try that. If you are going to be away during the ripening season, you can get those little organza bags sold for wedding favors and slip those over the pod to hold any seeds that might spill. Nancy