Sorting seeds

Normally around the Equinox in March, I tackle the job of sowing the seeds of a couple of summer flowering annuals in my garden. I've been doing this now for about 5 years - sowing, growing and collecting the seeds in late summer. Some of the seeds were given to me all those years ago: the white Rose Mallow (Lavatera) comes from my mom-in-law and the Corn Cockle seed from the gardens of the Remhoogte Nursery in Somerset-West. The Nigella (Persian Jewel) also called " Love-in-the-mist" was bought in England in 2008 and 'smuggled' in, and quite a variety of Shirley Poppy seed comes in packets from my local nursery. 

I love looking at the delicate cream coloured textures of the seed heads, casings and dried petals and other debris that end up in the Consol glass jars that I collect the seeds in.

I use my watercolour mixing plate for sorting them in the beginning, but after a while I get lazy and end up piling the seed into one jar and just sowing the whole lot - all at once!

Shirley Poppy seed heads are so delicate. When the seeds are ready for collection, the tiny 'windows' under the 'roof' of the seed head open up to scatter the fine and miniature seeds all over the show.  Every year the crop of annuals differs, and I still can't understand it? This year there was an abundance of Shirley Poppies and Nigellas - and very little else.  Some years, some seed fails to produce plants, altogether! Its like a lucky packet - you never sure what you'll get?

The jewel-like pastel shades of  the "Love in the Mist" flowers  in summer ( the seeds pods are shown below) are so beautiful that I marvel at them every year. The seed pods are like tiny baby rattles filled with medium-sized black seeds that are almost a show on their own after the beautiful summer petals have faded. They give the plant its other name, " Devil-in-a-bush" .

    The tiny sand-like grains of the Shirley Poppy will be blown off the table if the back door stood open - that's how tiny they are! Fortunately each seed head provides ample supply..

Behind the little black "wheel" of the Rose Mallow seed head you'll find tiny grey seeds, gently stuck together. The wafer-thin casing probably acts like a tiny parachute making sure the seeds fall gently to ground.