Gathering Flowers And Saving Seed

Flowers should be gathered regularly and continuously, and they should be gathered while they are still young, partly because they are fresh, partly because of the pleasure of seeing them expand in the house, partly because seeding, which strains the plant, is anticipated. It is in every way desirable to gather flowers; it is good for the grower, because his home is brightened, and it is good for the plants. The loss of seed need not be deplored. The great majority of amateurs will do better to buy seed than to save their own. I do not believe that it is economical to save seed at home, because I think that most people can make much more profitable use of their time. Calculate the time occupied in saving, cleaning, and packing up threepenny worth of Tomato seed. It is equivalent to writing a thousand words, and your value with the publisher may be (I admit that it may not) ten guineas per thousand. If you are not a writer you may be a painter, or a musical composer, or something else that renders your time valuable. I do not suggest that all time which is devoted to gardening should be calculated on a pounds, shillings, and pence basis. I only do it in the case of seed saving, because this appears to be generally done with the idea of saving money. If not, what is the object? To be sure of perfectly fresh seed? To perpetuate some particular variety? My reply to the first of these questions is that seed bought from professional seedsmen is more likely to germinate well than seed saved at home, because it has. been harvested under the eyes of experts, and stored under conditions which have been found to be the best after long years of experience. With regard to the second question, amateur seed savers do not often save seed from the best examples, and the strain deteriorates under their hands. This is a matter of simple fact. How would an amateur proceed in the saving of seeds of Ten-week Stocks, for example?

I am against the home-saving of seed in the first place, because letting plants form pods shortens their period of beauty; in the second, because it is not sound economy; and in the third, because it frequently means degeneration in the following year's crop. It is permissible in a few cases, such as those of rare plants.

Gather The Sweet Peas

Do not save seed, gather the flowers while young. In particular gather the Sweet Peas. Pluck some every day, and see that no seed pod forms. Sweet Peas are secretive and swift in their loves. Have you discovered their sly way of self-fertilising themselves before opening? They mate in the buds; it is child love. And how quickly seed pods form. You are away for a few days, and on your return, lot the cunning flowers have already rushed into pod. Of a surety Sweet Peas need watching. I prefer to see inexperienced gatherers work with scissors than with bare fingers, because plucking often means broken stems, and even torn-up plants. There is, however, a way of gathering Sweet Peas without cutting that is both neat and quick. Take the flower-stalk while young between finger and thumb at the base, and give a gentle squeeze and pull simultaneously. If this is done, the bottom of the flower stem leaves its seat instantly, and without any disturbance of the plant.