Hi everyone,
I have to admit I am sometimes guilty of being a seed snatcher, If I am walking by some pretty flowers and I see some seed pods, just swaying in the sun, I feel like taking a few seeds can't hurt. (I do try to ask if there is someone around.)
All of my friends are used to me helping them deadhead their plants, and are happy to share and I do share my bounty with others too.

Sue

Yes, my neighbors flowers would never be deadheaded if I didn't help.

Welcome to the forum.

Karen

I bag any that I want to keep in my own yard,
because they disappear on me if I don't !
I do, with permission, take seeds from my daughters' gardens.

I must confess to having done this as well. The local council in my area has a lot of agapanthus on the side of the road and my workplace has a lot in the gardens. I've seen what they do when the flowers are finished - they just come along and cut everything off with a hedge trimmer. So, wanting to try growing some from seed, I assisted with their dead-heading...

Applause, Sue!

Unless you take the only seed pod, or one of very few, you aren't hurting anyone and you are spreading flowers around.

You might keep a few Ziplocs in your pocket, with your "best of saved seeds", with pretty labels. Then you could offer them when you ask if you deadhead some flowers.

A really classy touch would be if some of the labels said "multiplied from seeds donated by <neighbor's name>."

The old DG had threads where people talked about snatching seeds and cuttings from roadsides, public places, and you-name-it. And entire plants from dumpsters!

Thanks everyone for encouraging me, I think I'm in good company

Welcome Sue.. and yes I will do community deadheading as well

Just did it yesterday in my neighbors yard

I've had it happen to me!!! At my old home.... I had this little spot near the sidewalk where I planted zinnias and in front of them were marigolds! On my way to leave for work I noticed a dog walker taking my marigold seeds. When I got home.. I made a sign saying.. "free zinnia and marigold seeds - leave me your address i'll drop them off" I saved some for myself and I had 4 neighbors request seeds then.. and ended up doing seed/hosta/daylily swap!

I saw someone cutting hydrangea flowers right from my bush It's at the end of my property by the street so I guess she thought they were fair game. She parked right by the wall and I could see her looking around and then she started cutting. I went out and just casually asked her if I could help her...she just stopped, put her bouquet in the car and left

luvsgrtdanes said:I saw someone cutting hydrangea flowers right from my bush It's at the end of my property by the street so I guess she thought they were fair game. She parked right by the wall and I could see her looking around and then she started cutting. I went out and just casually asked her if I could help her...she just stopped, put her bouquet in the car and left

I also have hydrangea! I love the smell in a bouquet also!

Yes .. Confessions of a seed snatcher. I am new to tn. And i have stopped beside roads while driving just to take a picture and take a piece of plant or seeds i have pretty good success as i am using these as flowers in my yard its hard soil hete full of clay i figure they already grow and thrive in it where ive been unsuccessful with bought plants and some seeds. Learning to grow here has been a challenge.

Smart! Growing things that grow well in your new home! Many people get all fancy about growing native wildflowers, and pay through the nose for native plants and seeds.

You went direct to the source! Bravo!

(Maybe ID each new addition to be sure you aren't planting something non-native and invasive! The plant ID forum is a great resource for that. If the photo is sharp and includes the identifying characteristics (whatever those are), they can nail down an ID in minutes to hours.)

If you are new to growing in clay, you have all my sympathy. Drainage and compost will eventually loosen your clay and make it drain better.

Until then, beware digging a hole down below grade, even if you fill it with wonderful, improved soil. If a hole-below-grade in low-perk clay doesn't have some kind of drainage trench to let the hole drain down and away, it will become a mud wallow or "bathtub", which drowns roots.

If you just plant INTO CLAY, at the same level as the surrounding clay, excess water runs off the surface instead of staying and drowning roots. That's why they how advise "amend the whole bed" instead of just "amend the planting hole". However, in REALLY bad clay, just amending the whole bed isn't enough. The deepest part of the amende4d bed needfs a path for water to get away, or it will drain down into the bed and stay there until it evaporates (after drowning your roots and killing your plants.)

Until then, consider raised beds. Even an 8" wall above grade assures that your plants will have a 7" deep root zone even if your yard floods 1" deep in that spot. Maybe even practice growing plants in containers for long periods. That's trickier than raised beds, but many gardeners have big "pot ghettos" and raise lots of healthy plants in containers.

Water drains down into holes, but then it stays there unless you give it an exit path.

Thank you Rick Cory. I built hugel kultur beds cause i already went through the agony of defeat last year. I have 15 acres and so many wildflowers and medicinal plants right hear im lucky. Im an herbalist. I would appreciate someone who has the tn. Coneflower seeds as i will dedicate a mass planting to help repopulate. Im interested in any other kinds of the echinacea that i can come across i have thousands of blackberries and dewberries wild strawberries. Self heal passion flowers asters all kinds of plants here. ..

Hugelculture under clay, THAT should improve the soil a lot over time!

Dave, one of the two Admins of this website, has done some hugelculture, and the "Permaculture" forum might even have dedicated hugel threads. Oh! You're already there. Cool!

Hi, Connie
I have never hear that the passion plant was used for medicine. ??

I am north of you in KY but I am faced with the same difficult soil type. I amend heavily or use a raised bed.

Passionflower has a mild sedative affect. It is great to calm nerves. You can make tea and several other things as well. The flower have intoxicating great smell.

I live in a rural area and have seen the wild ones along where I take walks at. I had thought of bringing one home. Have you ever planted their seeds?

bluegrassmom said:I live in a rural area and have seen the wild ones along where I take walks at. I had thought of bringing one home. Have you ever planted their seeds?

I have never tried germinating Passiflora incarnata or P. caerulea seeds before, but fresh seeds from P. edulis and P. ligularis (both bought from a supermarket) germinated very sporadically for me. Some germinated in 2 weeks at room temperature, but even after a year I'm still getting occasional seedlings!

They grow easily from seed. You can also grow them via roots. If anyone needs some seeds I'll be happy to share some once they are ripe.
What part of the Passionflower "Passiflora incarnata" has a mild sedative affect? I've ate ripe fruits and made drinks from them and felt nothing I can say one thing they smell way better than they taste.