Wildflower Seeds

This is it! The time of year to collect seeds. There are lots of wildflower seeds ready to gather, these include knapweed, wild carrot and teasel. To identify the plants it is helpful to know what they look like before they go to seed.

Knapweed have purple flowers and look a bit like thistles. The pollinators love them. When dried the seeds are in the shrivelled up flower heads.

Wild carrot are in the umbellifer family…so they look like an upside down umbrella. The seeds have lots of little spikey curled arms and almost like brown creatures.

Teasels have the distinctive spikey heads and are very tall. They are prickly so you many need to wear gloves.

• Gather seeds on a dry day (preferably following a few dry days) not too early in the morning or late in day.

• Do not pick more than a third of the seed heads (remember the birds need food over winter and the plant needs to set it’s own seed)

• Put the seeds into a paper bag and leave some where cool and dry for a few days. Then transfer to a glass jar, label it and put in your freezer for a few days.

• After removing from your freezer DO NOT OPEN as moisture will rush in. Rather leave to sit somewhere dark and cool.

• Replant again in November or in early Spring.

• Happy planting!