Not too many years ago, if you wanted to have a garden from one year to the next you had to save seeds. Vegetable and flower seeds were a vital part of farm life and exchanging them with neighbors and friends was an important part of rural culture.

Today, with so many seeds available to us from seed racks and catalogs, it may seem a bit pointless to save. But if you garden, you know that seeds can get expensive, so why not save a little money?

My basket flowers were spectacular just a few weeks ago. Since the seeds are difficult to find, I save as many as I can. After the flowers fade and the seed pods dry, I break them off and sort out the seeds. Whether it is basket flower or any other seed producing flower, I like to take the seed heads and place them on newspaper in a tray. As they dry, the seeds begin to fall, and then I store them in film canisters or jars and label them for planting in the spring.

I save seeds from a wide range of my old garden standbys — everything that is not a hybrid because these don’t always come back true from seeds — plants such as my Formosa lily, verbena-on-a-stick and even flowering tobacco.

One of the nice things about saving seeds is that you may preserve an heirloom strain that is no longer commercially available. So by spending a little time in the garden gathering seeds, we may keep some of our favorite garden flowers from being lost forever.

We’ve talked a little bit before about gardening on MLuxe. If you’re a fruit-grower, consider making some freezer jam. This is perfect for when you have a bumper crop of berries you can’t possibly eat, but it’s also an easy way to enjoy summer’s flavors on cold winter days.

About.com’s Frugal Living offers up some great tips on how to make freezer jam. You’ll want to collect the following things:

• Fruit: the riper the better! Raspberries, strawberries and rhubarb all make great freezer jam
• Pectin: acts as a thickener
• Sugar: makes the jam sweet
• Jars: you will want to make sure they are able to be frozen. Don’t forget to clean them well before beginning

The actual process for making the jam is simple. The Web site notes that some freezer jam recipes do call for cooking the fruit, so it never hurts to look around for recipes.

After washing the fruit and removing any stems, mash it with a potato masher. Combine sugar and pectin in a separate bowl. When they are completely blended together, mix them with the fruit for three minutes. Pour the jam into jars and let it thicken for 30 minutes. Freeze and enjoy!

Photo courtesy of thebittenword.com on Flickr

Have you ever wondered how people dealt with problems in the garden long before so many different products were available to us? Well, many times they used products that were common to the household or farm and perhaps designed for other purposes but could have a positive impact on plants.

For example, it was discovered probably quite by accident that throwing dirty dishwater out the back door onto plants could rid them of certain insects. And over time, this practice of using soapy water in this way became fairly common.

I’ve had reasonable success going up against certain insects in my garden by mixing a couple of teaspoons of dishwashing liquid to a quart of water and spraying them. Now, what this solution does is break down the outer covering or cuticle of an insect, making it more susceptible to disease, dehydration and other insects.

If you do this, you need to be careful because the same sort of outer covering or waxy coating is also on plants. Applying this solution can damage young, tender plants in particular if you get too much on them. I recommend spraying a few plants first, wait 24 hours and, if there is no problem, go for the pests.

A simple solution of 1 part rubbing alcohol to 3 parts water can have a similar effect on these little devils.

I’ve tried just about every type of fertilizer there is in my garden over the years, but regardless of what I use throughout the season, every spring I always try to work in a generous amount of animal manure around my plants.

I like to work it in with compost, some of the existing soil and sand for great results. But if you use animal manure, you need to realize that, like other fertilizers, it can burn your plants if you use too much of it.

I found that established trees and shrubs can take a little more than tender perennials and annuals. And I like manure because, when I apply it, if I’m a little heavy-handed, it’s more forgiving than conventional chemical fertilizers and the results can be astonishing.

The type of manure I use in my garden depends on what I’m trying to accomplish. If I want to build up the soil by adding more humus or vegetable matter, I’ll use something like horse or cow manure. If I just want to increase the nutrients, I may use something more concentrated like poultry or chicken manure.

You can’t believe how chicken manure greens up my hedges — there’s almost three times as much nitrogen in it as there is in cow or horse. Whatever manure you use, you should always gently work it into the soil around the plants and never apply it directly on them. And just like any other fertilizer, you want to make sure to water it in after you apply it.

If you use this stuff directly out of the barnyard, you can expect weeds, so you may want to use some of this filter fabric and then cover it with a generous layer of mulch. And always make sure it’s well rotted and aged. Fresh manure can contain some of the same dangerous E. coli bacteria that can be found in undercooked beef. That’s why I like to get it aged, put it in my compost and heat it up, so it reduces the chance of any getting any on my vegetables — especially some of those that I eat raw, like lettuce.

Now if you’re planning on using compost with manure in it on your lawn or your ornamental flowerbeds, you obviously don’t have to worry about the bacteria.

We all enjoy vacations, but it is important to remember to make plans for our houseplants for the time that we are away so that we can return home to healthy plants rather than a heartache. Here are a few tips that you may find effective.

If you don’t plan to be away too long, you can help conserve moisture by placing the plants in a location out of the direct sun. This will slow down the growth of the plants and reduce the amount of water they need. Just make sure they are well watered before you head out of town.

Now if your trip is going to be a bit more extended, you may want to take all of your houseplants that are planted in clay containers and place them in a wash tub or bathtub. Just place the plants on unglazed bricks and fill the tub with a few inches of water. The clay containers will absorb the moisture through the bricks and transfer it to the plants. Also you’ll want to make sure that they have plenty of light so if you put them in the bathroom, leave the lights on.

The houseplants that have been taken outside for the summer will survive best if they are sunk, container and all, in the ground in a shady location where they will be watered by a sprinkler.

If some of your houseplants have problems with pests, if you can find the time before you leave, separate them from the others and give them the treatment they need.

Now if you plan to be gone for say two weeks or longer, I recommend you find someone to come in and serve as a plant sitter to check on them.

Houseplants may need a little extra care from time to time but they certainly are worth it.

One of the reasons I’m attracted to gardening is that it allows me to use and reuse materials. This has a lot of appeal for a pack-rat like me. It gives me a good excuse to hang on to things because I often find another use for them later. Nothing goes to waste in the garden.

A prime example of this is my compost bin. I can take material that I might otherwise throw out, such as leaves and grass clippings, and turn them into big dividends next year in the way of healthy soil for my vegetables and flowers.

Many people I talk with are intimidated by the whole process, but there is really nothing to composting. It is all about getting the mix right.

The recipe is simple. The only ingredients you need are organic materials such as autumn leaves, grass clippings, and raw vegetable scraps from the kitchen. Items to avoid are woody stems, weeds, diseased plants, cooked food and meat products. These items either take too long to break down or have the potential to spread pests and disease. The final two ingredients needed for compost are water and oxygen.

I find it works best if you layer green, nitrogen-rich clippings with brown, carbon-rich material — such as the autumn leaves — at a ratio of about 1 part green to 1 part brown. The nitrogen will help speed up the decomposition of the dead leaves.

You can further accelerate the process by adding a source of nitrogen in the form of granular fertilizer high in nitrogen or well-rotted cow manure. At one time, manure could be obtained from a local farmer, but with the risk of E. coli and diminishing access to farms, I recommend using bagged, commercial cow manure.

Combining all these elements generates heat, which is the final ingredient needed to create compost. When your compost heats up, you know it’s working. It’s no surprise that weather plays a factor in how quickly your compost heats up. The process works best when outdoor temperatures are 50 degrees F or higher.

Of course, if you are starting your compost pile in fall when leaves are most abundant, you won’t have this advantage. To keep your compost going strong through the cold months, there are a few things I recommend. Make sure your pile is at least three feet high, that it stays moist (not sopping wet) in dry weather, and that you turn it about every two weeks. Covering it with plastic will also help to hold the heat in when it is cold.

By taking advantage of all of the garden trimmings and leaves available in the fall, you can have plenty of rich compost in about six months — just in time for summer planting!

There’s been a lot written lately about the Topsy Turvy Tomato Planter, a simple device that lets you grow your tomatoes upside down.

The manufacturer says it helps water and nutrients flow better to the fruit on the plant, prevents spoilage by keeping tomatoes off the ground and can save you the back pain of performing the necessary maintenance on the ground.

The folks at Shelterrific point out that your tomatoes don’t need a $20 infomerical product to grow well upside down. Rather, they include a link to a do-it-yourself set of instructions, which would free you to use whatever look and feel you want for your specific purpose — not to mention saving some money.

The blog Green Joyment has some instructions and a bunch of videos showing similar projects, so you can get an idea of how these plant hangars work.

And if you’re interested in the original Topsy Turvy Tomato Planter, here’s a pretty thoughtful review.

Photo courtesy of kkimpel on Flickr

More and more people are growing orchids because they are more readily available and the price has come down. They’re actually a very good value if you’re looking for a splash of color in your home.

By combing orchids with other houseplants you can create a living flower arrangement that will actually last a month or more. The orchids will be center stage, but to pull this off, you will need a support cast of other houseplants. I like to use ivies and prayer plants because they’re as durable as the orchids themselves.

To create this arrangement, simply apply the same three-shape rule that I’ve shared with you for cut flower arrangements and outdoor containers: tall/spiky, round/full and cascading.

Place the orchids, your tall and spiky component, in the center of the container. Because orchids are fussy about their growing medium, it is easiest to keep them in the pots in which they were grown. Now, because these pots will take up the majority of the room in the container, I put the other plants in sandwich bags and arrange them around the orchids. This makes it easier to tuck them into the arrangement. Simply remove each plant, along with the soil, from its pot and drop it into a sandwich bag. Secure the top of the sandwich bag with a rubber band.

Now you are ready to put in the prayer plant, which will add the element of a round/full shape. Also, the purple veining of the prayer plant combines nicely with the color of the orchid blooms. To finish it off, slip in the ivies so they cascade gracefully over the edge of the container. Once the plants are in place, fill in the open spaces with sheet moss.

I’ve used orchids for their long bloom time, but just about any combination will work and just follow the same principles. It’s all a matter of using your imagination.

When I was a child, I was encouraged to go outside to explore and play, which I loved to do so much that only the need for food would bring me inside. Every day presented a new discovery; one never knew what surprises Mother Nature had to offer. We made ink with pokeberries, fished in the nearby stream and created forts in the hydrangea bushes on the cool north side of the house. Even sweltering summer afternoons were spent outside looking for adventure.

Today, many children spend their free time engaged in scheduled activities such as sports, play dates and birthday parties. I am continually amazed at the pace that my nephew and niece are going places, doing things and all that they are learning.

I recognize the positive aspects of this evolution. I don’t know when I last heard a child utter the words “I’m bored!”

The only drawback I see is many of these activities don’t provide experiences with nature and all its wonderful resources for the development of young minds. The solution to this is to create activities for kids that reconnect them to the natural world.

This project for starting a ginger plant from a root purchased at the local market is a fun way to engage a child’s curiosity about their environment.

Common ginger, Zingiber officinale, is a wonderful plant for children to grow because it has so many uses: a flavorful spice, a remedy for the common cold and a cure for an upset stomach. Children can learn that there are benefits of growing plants beyond the beautiful blooms and foliage.

Because ginger’s root, or rhizome, is so odd looking, it is easy to catch the attention of a child for this activity. In fact, the root is often referred to as a “hand” and the sections are called “fingers.”

The best time to start a ginger plant from the root is in the spring. When you select roots for growing, choose those that are fresh with 1- to 2-inch sections and plenty of nodes.

Materials:

• fresh gingerroot
• 1 six inch terra cotta container with drainage holes
• sterile potting soil
• water

Directions:

• Begin by cutting the root into a few pieces, making sure that each piece has a few nodes or buds from which to sprout.
• Fill your container 2/3 of the way full with potting soil.
• Place the ginger root pieces flat on top of the soil and cover with about 2 inches more of potting soil.
• Water well and place it in a warm windowsill with bright but indirect light.

In just a few weeks a stalk will emerge at each one of the nodes. You can expect your plant to grow about 4 feet tall.

If you live in a mild part of the country, you can plant this directly outside. Ginger prefers to grow in areas with partial shade and consistently moist, rich soil. In climates that have cold winters, treat it as a tender houseplant and bring it indoors when temperatures drop below 40 degrees F.

While your ginger plant may occasionally produce flowers, it is not a common occurrence. But when you consider what the roots have to offer, you’ll hardly miss the blooms. Wait about 4 to 7 months to harvest new roots. Simply cut the leaf stalks close to the top of the root and lift it out of the soil.

What an amazing gift from nature — a fresh supply of flavorful and healthy ginger root and a fun way to introduce your children to the benefits of gardening.

It’s interesting how certain flowers evoke a sense of nostalgia: roses, hollyhocks and dahlias to name a few. There’s no question these are beautiful in the garden, but if cared for properly you can also use them inside. Hydrangeas are good flowers to dry for indoor arrangements.

One method of preparing hydrangeas is simply to air dry them. All you do is remove the leaves along the stem and bundle five or six of them together. Hang them in a cool, dry place.

If that’s too much trouble, you can also dry them upright in a vase. Place the stems in a vase with a few inches of water, out of direct sunlight. When the water evaporates add more, repeating the process until you feel the blooms are sufficiently dry.

You can also preserve hydrangeas with glycerin and water. This process makes the bloom more soft and supple to the touch, and it also helps to preserve the shape of the bloom longer.

Materials:

• Hydrangea blooms (Old-fashioned French, PeeGee and Annabelle hydrangeas do well, but I’ve never had much luck with Oakleaf or Tardiva.)
• Glycerin
• Water
• Vase
• Colored dye (optional)

Directions:

Gather the hydrangea blooms. When cutting the blooms, keep in mind that the length of your stems need to be about 18 inches or less. And while it is tempting to try drying those full, lushly colored hydrangea blooms mid-summer, it is best to allow them to mature on the shrub before you cut them. Fresh blooms tend to wilt and turn brown. You can tell that they are ready because as they age, they will turn either green/pink in warm climates or blue/purple in colder areas, and their texture is paper-like rather than soft.

Cut the stems at a right angle and crush the ends with a hammer. This will help with the uptake of the solution.

In a vase prepare a solution of 2 parts water and 1 part glycerin. You can find glycerin at your local pharmacy. The way this works is, the water and glycerin are drawn through the stem of the plant. The water evaporates through the petals, leaving the glycerin. The glycerin will turn the petals a rich, golden brown. I like this natural look, but if you prefer a little color, add a small drop of dye to the solution.

Add your hydrangeas to the vase.

In two to three weeks you will have a beautiful bouquet of summer hydrangeas to enjoy through the fall and winter.