Drying seed pods

Now in November there is so much task to do outside. Not just trying to get everything transplanted or sowed on the veggie patch before it become too warm here in just a few weeks more. But those spent-bloom also need deadheading to continue blooming profusely. It so wonderful to see them blooming but as the temperature in the day increasing its not easy to do that deadheading task done. Never in my whole life, how painful my skin felt standing in the sun just a few minutes here in Adelaide compared with places that I have been. At first when I live here I always wonder why I can’t get used to summer here in Adelaide when I spent two-third of my life in tropical country and I am an outdoor person. I think it is because the ozone layer here is becoming so thin. So while deadheading we also collected some seeds or seed pods to dry and add to our collection of home-saved seed. We collect pansy seeds for next year autumn sowing. There are many bloom pansy colours. My husband favourite pansy colour is this blue one here with the seed pod on top of the flower. When the seed mature it will become more fatter and then the seed pod will burst by itself like in the right picture.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stock flower seed pods left drying outside. I forgot what colour the flower was.

Nasturtiums seeds drying in the net. When the seeds dried it shrunk so much from it original size that some of it drop through the net.

Lakspur seed pods. Lakspur seed is about the same size as onion seed. If you tried to open the seed pods and it is difficult to peel it means the seed is not ready and immature. Aquilegia (Columbine) seed pods. I was surprised to see how many seeds contain in one seed pods. At least 50 seeds perpod I reckon. When the seeds are ready the seed pod will burst open by itself.

Red onion seeds.

Coriander seeds left drying under the shed. Looking at that drying coriander seeds still attach to the plant, I think it will take quite some time to collect all the seeds so I am assigning this to my unsuspecting sisters that will be staying at my place from this Saturday till New year. That coriander plant was more than 5 feet in height. We still have more bolted coriander plants growing in the patch. Last year with only 2 plants we had half a bottle of coriander seeds. This year I cannot estimate how many bottles we need to keep coriander seeds.

It is a very educational year of learning how to collect seeds. Apart from coriander, all other plant seeds in this post is our first time collecting them. It has been fun guessing on when the seeds are mature to collect or how it looks like.

Do you have the chance to collect any seeds this month or a story to share?