Collecting your own seeds: Columbines

A little while back I promised I'd tell you how to collect and save your own seeds (in the process hopefully saving you a little bit of money). A lot of what follows is good for many plants, but I'll be adding other "modules" as I go along.

Today, I'll do just that, for Columbines. The following holds true for wild and "domestic" ones.

Word of warning. Columbine seed pods are sticky. Plain and simple. So if like me you're going to harvest a whole pile of them, wear gloves, or be prepared to wash and wash and wash your hands. Thou has been warned!

1. You need a plant. ;)




2. After the plant has flowered, you have 2 choices. Either dead head it (remove the spent flower), or let it go to seed. Normally, you dead head them during the summer, and around the middle-end of August you let them go to seed (if you want seeds for the next season).

The problem with Columbines is, some vary quite a bit as to when they flower. So what I do in that case is let 1 or 2 stalks go to seed, and dead head the rest.

I've included a picture that has all 3 "phases", the flower, the newly formed seed head, and the maturing seed head. There is also a picture of a ready to harvest seed head (more below).

On left, a newly formed seed pod, middle - a maturing pod, and right a flower about to open fully.

While your seed head is maturing, you must keep watering the plant and caring for it. This is especially true if you want good strong seeds. BUT, with columbines, they pretty much take care of themselves.. (I really love plants like that).

Be careful NOT to pick the seed heads too early. The seeds inside will be white, and immature, and if memory serves will not grow.

The pic above shows the pod opening, but its still green. The seeds should be viable, but as you'll see, I had a few white unusable ones.


On left, a maturing seed pod. On right, ripe for the pickin'!










3. Keep close watch on your seed heads. Some people put paper bags around them, I just let them ripen naturally. You'll know they are ready when they look like this: (browning/brownish and opening up).

If you don't pick them, they will "sprinkle" around the mother plant, and next year, you'll have more columbines in the area. Useful if you are naturalizing an area...

Let it be, and it'll self-seed itself and you'll have a lot of babies :)

4. Take a large margarine container (or any wide mouth container), and place it under the seed head. Either pull the head up and off the plant, enclosing it in your hand to prevent seeds from flying everywhere. You can also bend the seed head to the container and tap it so the seeds come out. Another way is to use scissors, and snip the heads and temporarily place them in the container (gets your scissors sticky tho). I use the pull method. The head should come off easily, (then you know its really ready).

Place the removed head upside down (with open end facing down and stem facing up) and roll the head between your fingers like you would say a cigarette (or whatever). Do this GENTLY! no squishing, cramming or damaging the seeds! they will loosen and fall into the container. Discard empty seed head. You will be left with nice shiny black seeds. (Columbine seeds are easy to recognize because of this) very glossy, not really oily.


Black shiny glossy columbine seeds! the white ones I will throw out. There was about 10-12 more seeds not shown here. This is from the opened seed pod above! So gives you an idea of how many seeds you can expect. As far as I know, the seeds are not poisonous. (but please don't go and eat them just to prove me wrong...)

Now, if you see white seeds, amongst your nice shiny black seeds, don't panic. Pick them out, and discard them. They are immature and will not grow.

5. You now have 3 choices.

a) sprinkle them where you want more columbines, yes, right now. The cold of the coming winter will activate them, and in the spring, you'll have babies!

b) store the seeds in a brown PAPER bag (very important!) with either a small handful of rice, OR desiccant (the little envelopes you get in shoes and whatnot). If you don't have any (use the rice or) leave it as is. Either way, label the bag with a permanent marker, date, color, plant and store the bag in a cool dark place. Every once in a while, go and give the bag a gentle shake to move them around as they finish drying. Sprinkle the seeds in the fall or if you are planting in the spring follow directions at 5a. If you are picky like me, you'll tape a pic of the plant in bloom on the bag so you know exactly which one you are sowing. (and no I'm not Martha) lol!

c) Share with neighbors after the seeds are properly dried :) always a good idea. Maybe they'll share back... and you can send me some (just kidding lol!)

5a. If you are going to sow the seeds in the spring, they need to be activated by cold first. (according to the "experts"). You can take the bag and stuff it in the freezer for 2-3 days, or in the fridge. I never found it made much of a difference really. Then sow away.

6. To sow the seeds, I just work the ground lightly, sprinkle (actually I blow or "sneeze" on them and they go wherever they want - more natural look) and lightly sprinkle earth on them.

and the cycle begins anew. The new plants might well flower the first year. Give it a try. I'd love to hear how it worked out for you!


Points to remember:

Columbines cross-breed. If you have a blue one here and a red one there, and the pollen intermixes, then you'll end up with another color. Sometimes they look washed out, but hey. And this is often done by bees and birds...

I had about 60 different cultivars in Ottawa, and when it came time to collect the seeds, I'd take a deep breath, and take a good look at my clean hands. Then, I'd grab a big container and go picking. I've tried picking the pods green, and they always did less better than the brown ones. (my hands would be black and sticky by the time I was done, but then I had a TON of seeds to pick...)

If you have a pod that has both green and brown on it, give it a few days to mature, (this is where the paper bag around the seed head I guess comes in handy - I've never bothered). Remember too, if any seeds fall on the ground, chances are, the little critters (birds, bugs, chipmunks) will find and eat them, so don't worry too much!

Remember, lastly, that sometimes things will not work, and like me, you'll mess up (ok maybe YOU won't but...). It happens. These plants are probably one of the easiest to start with, and they give out TONS of seeds! So have fun, and be gentle on the plant, and yourself!

Remember to let me know how it went! :)

Cheers Cynthia

Just a few pics...

Something very quick. I've been SO busy trying to get my online store WORKING! argh! and the craft show (which was a success) and custom orders, and ... WAHHH! So, I figured I'd post a few more pics. I promise to write about the chive seeds that are forming quite nicely! And I'm keeping tabs on the columbines, so that you too may know how to harvest and keep your own seeds (or share them with people!)
Here ya go!

oh, and below is my very first win in a "competition" for photography! WOOHOO!






Bee on Spiderwort. She told me off after the 9th or so pic.



Chive flowers are drying nicely, despite the insane rains we've been having!


A smallish white peony in my back yard


Whispering daisies


Some people see weeds, I see beauty.


Above is the Kathy Wade rose, believe it or not, it started out as a cream colored rose with a blush around its edges. Its getting pinker by the day. Really neat. I bought it not for the color, but for its intense delicious smell!


Maddie, my new friend. Took a while to warm up, but at least she's no longer running with her tail between her legs lol! What a sweetie!


My neighbor's red lilies.


My old time fave - New Dawn... A climbing rose-bush in the front.


Mr. Caterpillar! Dunno for what butterfly. If anyone knows, please tell me!

That's it for now... I'll be back when things calm down around here. Hope you enjoyed! Cyn

A change of pace, for a moment.

For those of you who know me, you know I'm an avid bird watcher. I love to feed them and look and admire them, and of course, hunt them with my camera. I'm blessed to have quite a variety where I live, perhaps not as much as further south, but I've no complaints. Blue Jays by the 30s in the winter, nuthatches, chickadees (hand fed one once!) hummers of course, grosbeaks, woodpeckers (from the great Pilated (HUGE!) to the downy ones, indigo bunting (wicked awesome!) goldfinches, purple finches, robins, sparrows (ALL of them, or so it seems), snow buntings, and many more! I have a ton of feeders, one of which, my fave, is a cast iron mesh black sunflower seed feeder that holds about 5 lbs at a time. Its usually empty in 3 days in the winter and early spring. I started feeding birds in memory of my grampa, and its turned into a passion from the day I moved into my new home, and was greeted at breakfast by 2 curious blue jays on my deck. I put toast out, and they came right back, and we greeted each other every morning for the rest of the summer. I now have a peanut feeder for them in the front. (and they have me well trained to refill it when its empty! lol!)

All this to say, I'm always on the lookout for new birds. I saw my first loon just a few weeks ago, though you can hear them at night when the wind is very quiet. I've seen my first duck (wild) last year, and got up close pics of Canada geese. But this picture, that I wanted to share, is very special. It took a while to figure out what she is. She was crossing the busy highway when we were driving by. My pastor and I both love bird watch so we were out of the van and running after a photo op real quick. She was headed towards a turnoff, where vehicles usually come in pretty fast (as least I do, and so was the guy coming in that day). So my pastor chucked the photo op and stood in the middle of the road, to let mama and her 8? younglings get by safely. The gentleman in the truck looked confused at first, and then laughed when he saw her, and thumbed up my pastor.

Judging by the bad hair day, it must be quite the job to raise so many little ones. I appologize for the poor quality, but this was shot on the quick (and I don't have my zoom lens yet).

So, I present to you, the Common Merganser. I just LOVE the "hair" it cracked me up! and those little ones booted it after mama, no problems following! It was the coolest thing to see! :)




First pic, taken while van was still moving.


She's heading towards clear lake, just beyond those trees.


Them little ones sure are burning rubber! They were SO cute!



Gotta love the hair! LOL! Andy, my pastor, herded her down further towards the lake, and away from the ever present danger of cars.

I am very grateful, for both Andy (who had the presence of mind (unlike me!) to herd her, and stop the traffic. Could have been dangerous for him, but I honestly don't think he gave it a second thought. But he's that kinda guy! And I'm grateful for the pickup driver who stopped. (and "got it" and laughed (as opposed to curse and send hand signals). Thanks guys!

And in case you are wondering, I've never seen her since, but I go through that area almost daily, and I always glance (wistfully) around. I'm going to take my dog to clear lake one day soon when I get my zoom, and we'll go hunting with the lens!

Today's pics

(I finally figured out how to put the darn text so its not all over the place! YAY!)

We had a brief but thorough rain storm yesterday, and it kept me from taking the pictures I wanted (should have) taken while it was sunny (I have a good camera, but it ain't waterproof ;)

But, I got to take these, which I think are just as good, if not better.

You can see in one of these the poppy seed pod. It does not take much to get these beautiful flowers to lose their petals. In fact, the pink one is now naked, with only the seed pod left. I've had so many requests for "babies" of this plant that I will let it go to seed, and give seeds (poppies have a carrot-like root, and thus transplant poorly unless you are super careful - read, they are a total pain to transplant.)

Enjoy!

Been a while, but I've been busy with the camera.

I'm only going to post pics for a few days. I have an arts and craft show and I need to MAKE things lol! :) Please comment on these, I'd really like to know what you think! Thanks!

Hummingbirds...

Little flying jewels that speed through the air, and beware if you're wearing a red hat, you may get zinged along the way. But they mean no harm, in fact, if you're lucky (blessed) enough, and they are brave enough, you may have one come drink directly out of your hand. I've had that experience _once_ and it was pure magic!

This year, I decided to put the feeders out, again, as usual. Though I don't have the many many feeders I normally have (gave some away, the bear broke one, I broke one, argh!) I bought 2 mini ones at a store, and have since decided they are the best thing since sliced bread! Seriously, they keep the food fresh (I refill mine every 2 days - sometimes day and a half!), it does not take up a lot of space, and its awesome for window boxes or flower containers.

I used a huge shepherd hook, and hung one directly on my bedroom window, and it faces inward, so the birds get some relief from the sometimes insane winds. And you hear them comin'! At first, I kept forgetting and I'd be omgosh a BEE! but soon, I learned to turn real slow, and watch with pleasure as they drank and drank. The feeders don't come with perches. I made these myself, as I felt bad that the little guys had to remain in motion while drinking. It took a couple of tries and readjustments but voila!

If you are wondering how to attract hummers, plant red flowers, especially tubular ones (those with a deep throat, such as, columbines, honeysuckle, geranium even, bee balm is a favorite (of butterflies too!). And there are many more. Not only will you get to see these gorgeous tiny birds, but they will work their magic and eat TONS of bugs for you! (same with dragonflies they loooove bugs!) consider planting a flower garden designed towards hummers and butterflies and songbirds, and when fall comes, let the plants go to seed, and don't clean everything up antiseptically! leave the seedheads up, to serve as food for the birds during the winter! Its well worth it.

If you do put a hummer feeder out, give it a week, sometimes 2 for the birds to add you to their feeding route. Sometimes, its same day service, so keep a lookout. Change the feed solution every week at the most (usually, I do mine every 2 days as they are empty), however, keep a close look for mold, sirupy texture, or fermenting smells (like wine or yeast) that is a wayyyy overdue feeder. Clean it thoroughly, but without harsh chemicals and rinse it really really well. Think of it this way, would you feed your baby (or yourself) through that bottle? if not, clean again. They can get sick easily, and you are attracting them to feed them not kill them. If you see hummers land at your feeder and take off right away, check the solution. More times than not, its bad. (and it will happen at first. Live and learn :)

So, I thought for today's post, I'd share some hummer pics with you. If I can find the ones from last year (which are really bad lol!) I'll post them as well. Oh, and if you wear any red, be prepared to be investigated. (they don't hurt, they just look like a massive Bee)

Here you go! Enjoy! I sure do!

ps. these were taken about 1.5-2 feet away from the feeder (I'm sitting on my bed, and the camera is on my headboard - but its unfortunately noisy- this guy is getting used to it though. And used to my moving around inside. Soon, I'll lock the cats outside the room and remove the screen. soon. very soon. lol!)

Also, there are 2 hummers that visit this feeder. Scarab, the one with what looks like a scarab on his shoulder, and another that comes and steals a couple of sips (before getting chased away!)

I've always loved Geraniums. Regardless the color, or the flower type. I'm one of those weird ones that actually like the smell. You see, it reminds me of my childhood, of my Grampa's greenhouse where he grew and sold bedding plants. It reminds me of transplanting stuff for my dad in his solarium. It reminds me of... so many things, summer, warmth, gorgeous plants that are easy to care for (who does not like those?!!!)

So, here's a little story. Last summer, I went to our local hardware store, and saw the most amazing lavender colored geranium in a hanging basket. I had the lady working there put it aside for me, and I'd be back for it in 2 days. A very nice person (NOT!) took it even though it had a hold note on it, and I lost out. I was not happy, in fact, I was very very sad.

This year, I went back to said hardware store (there's only one here). And lo and behold, what do I see? A gorgeous beautiful STUNNING lavender colored geranium. So I bought it, there and then! They only get 1 each year so this year its MINE! lol!

Geraniums are fairly hardy, not hardy enough to spend the winter outside, but hardy enough to tolerate the weird cold wet weather we've been getting. They are also very forgiving, at least in my experience with them.

Water them when dry, dead head (remove spent/dead flowers) regularly, or if you want seeds let them go to seed. (The seeds look like little black teadrops, with fuzzies all over them, as if they are growing a beard). If they get too tall and lanky, do like my dad once told me to do to my beloved red geranium. CUT IT DOWN! It took everything for me to do so, even though I knew my dad knew best.

So, if you have a geranium that's getting long in the legs, cut it down, KEEP the cut portion, and remove the lower leaves, and stick THAT part in the ground. In a short while (I'd say maybe 1-1 1/2 months) you'll have a new geranium, and the other part that got the haircut should be sprouting new growths.

These guys are perfect for so many area, baskets, containers, garden, ground, less than perfect flower beds. Forgiving they are, and simple to care for.

When fall rolls around, you can either recycle them in the compost heap (noooo!) or bring them in for the winter. Some people cut theirs really short, and put them in a dark cool place. I brought in my neighbor's geranium (which she was going to throw out), and stuck it in my kitchen on a rolling pot holder. It was right in front of the patio door, but also right above the heating duct vent AND in front of the stove. I also have 3 cats and a dog. So imagine the abuse. Well, during the winter, it bloomed the most massive bloom! and it hardly ever got watered (only when I remembered!) It grew to monster proportions. At its highest, it reached my hips (I'm 5'6")! and it got moved here there everywhere!

I took cuttings when spring rolled around, and gave back a baby to my neighbor. The local hummingbirds loved it when it was out during the summer too!

To take a cutting, you select a thick healthy branch with plenty of leaves. Remove any flowers (they will sap the energy otherwise needed to make new roots). You cut the branch just below a node (a bump) and either stick it in earth (and remember to keep it moist NOT wet) or in water and let it root. I like the earth way better as you don't have to "retrain" the geranium to live off the earth.

I only have my ONE geranium this year. But I'm most definitely NOT recycling it to the compost bin. And when I bring it in for the winter, I have the peace of mind that, my cats who normally graze anything green, will leave it alone! yesss! Look at those pics! at that color! yes, you are drooling. :)

Blue Columbine

This is a blue columbine I got for my garden. I really like the color, its so different than the other columbines I've seen/had in the past.

This one is rather tall, the flowers towering over the blue-grey leaves. The spurs on the back of the flower are fairly short, but its lovely nonetheless. It was planted today, in my front flower bed. We'll see how it likes it there :)

As the season progresses, I'll post about harvesting and saving your own seeds. Keep your eyes peeled, it might save you some money!