HOME
So there I was, enjoying a delightful September afternoon by relocating more strawberries in the front yard. (See more about my strawberry related ambitions here) The chickens were enjoying a romp around the yard. Bumble bees buzzed around my still-blooming mint plants. Then a mosquito bit me and I remembered- Massachusetts is in the middle of a Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) watch. Yes, EEE is rare, but there have been multiple human patients confirmed in this county. I am “that person” who gets peppered with bites while everyone else gets one or two. I am not a gambler.
I quickly watered the strawberries I had moved, ushered the chickens back to their run, and put my tools away. Before booking it into the house for the evening, I quickly dead-headed a few of my zinnias.

As I mentioned during the planting stages of the 2019 Food It yourself garden, I bought zinnia seeds on a whim from my local dollar store. I was hoping they would round out my newly-constructed front yard bed of bee-balm. After all, the zinnias I’ve seen top out at twelve inches high, give or take. They would look good in front of the 3-4 foot tall bee balm stems. Not only did the zinnias bloom in a delightful assortment of colors, but some are now taller than the bee balm. The picture to the left is from mid July. I would have gotten a more current picture, but peak mosquito time was fast approaching, so I was itching to get inside; pun intended.

I want those spent flower heads because in a front-yard garden, visible to the neighborhood, having a little pretty in with the practical is a good idea. Best of all, zinnia seeds are very, very east to save. Just break up the dried-out flower and there is one seed at the base of each petal. Store in an air-tight container in a cool, dry, dark place, and they will be ready to hit the dirt come spring time.

I kept the different colors separated. I am still waiting for a yellow flower to dry out. I certainly have enough seeds to keep my unconventional lawn looking sharp, but I want to have extras to share, so I will probably continue collecting until I run out of containers.
While exploring resources about collecting and storing seeds (see below) I came across a fact that I had forgotten. The second generation of zinnias might not look like the first. There is a good chance the flowers were cross-pollinated color to color. Separating the seeds may have been irrelevant. On the other hand I am extra excited to see what will come up next summer.
Want to try your hand at saving the best things from your garden? Check out these resources:
- Of course The Old Farmer’s Almanac has a page on seed saving.
- Seed Savers Exchange has excellent advice also.
- The Spruce has instructions specifically for saving zinnia seeds.
I usually think of myself as someone who grows yummy things, not pretty things. Since I have made the choice to have visible planted beds, however, I need to think about the pretty at least a little. I was quite impressed with the super thrifty zinnias I grew this year, and I hope next year I will have just as much luck growing generation II. Are you saving any seeds this year? Have you done so in the past? Share in the comments section!
Great blog! Now I want to grow my own little seedlings. 🙂 Tomtoes seem to be a good start…
Tomatoes do really well in pots, especially cherry tomatoes. If you get a big enough pot you can tuck a basil plant in next to it- instant caprese salad whenever you want it!
having chickens has been something i have really enjoyed ! you wont be sorry good luck