We’re so excited to share that the fifth episode of The Floret Farm Journal is now available to watch! In September, autumn starts to reveal itself, and there are signs everywhere. As I walk the farm, spiderwebs stretch across every pathway, beautifully backlit and covered with dew. The hydrangeas take on a cranberry wash, and plants bend under the weight of their own abundance. The light is noticeably different—angled, golden, and fleeting. If August is the plateau of the growing season, September is the slide into autumn.
In this month’s episode, the team works to bring in the seed harvest. Hundreds of varieties of zinnias, dahlias, and celosia are lovingly picked by hand, brought into the greenhouses, and laid out to dry. While it is the final chapter of this growing season, the seeds that are being collected will be the start of another.
As the crew focuses on harvesting, Chris and I have been hard at work gathering the last notes and photos for a book on flower seed saving—a project 4 years in the making and our most ambitious to date. Very little information on this topic exists publicly, and I’m anxious to finally share this labor of love with the world.
EPISODE RESOURCES
Seed-Saving Information
We are deep in the process of writing the seed-saving book and will share more information and updates about the project through the Floret newsletter. In the meantime, be sure to sign up for our free mini course all about saving seeds.
Seed-Saving Mini Course: Learn how to save dahlia, zinnia, and celosia seeds in this course all about seed saving. We’ll show you how to ensure that the seed you save comes back true to its variety, when seeds are ready to harvest and how to pick them, and how to properly dry, clean, and store seeds long term using supplies you have at home. The course is free, but registration is required. Sign up here to receive the videos.
Winnow Wizard: This machine created by Markael Luterra cleans seed using a stream of air to separate seed from chaff.
Flower Friends
Alma | Proust: Our friends Milli Proust and Paris Alma run a small seed company and floral design business in West Sussex. They helped us get the Floret Original varieties to gardeners all over the U.K. Their current collection of seeds includes more than 150 varieties that are both easy to grow and perfect for design work. Each seed packet has a colorful, painted illustration of the variety and comes with a simple sowing guide.
FEATURED PLANTS & VARIETIES
Sunflower [8:47] Seed for this towering variety was sent as a gift from Sara at Farm & Folk. The variety, which she calls ‘Queen of Ancient Futures’, is a native high desert wild sunflower crossed with ‘Hopi Black Dye’, which is also acclimated to the high desert. They are quite happy here in our climate!
After you watch the episode, I’d love to hear what resonated with you, especially when it comes to saving seeds. Do you currently save any flower seeds? If so, are there things you’re struggling with or have questions about? Please tell us in the comments section below. Your feedback is so helpful to us as we write the seed-saving book and continue to film this series.
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