Annual plants

sounding like a complete novice, I understand the annual, perennial, biennial cycles but in the annual when they die can you reclaim seeds from plants or will the dormant seeds regrow the following year, if this makes sense

 

You can harvest the seeds of annuals, Jason. But, some annuals self seed with careless abandon where ever they please! Some biennials too.

Do you have any particular annuals in mind and then we can give you a better answer.

 

Thanks for helping I have snap dragons (antirrhinum majus), Californian poppy, marigold, dwarf morning glory, dwarf aster. And biennials lupin, ruby sunset sunflower, gaillardia thanks

 

And forget me not (myosotis)

 

I've don't know them all, but, the one's I do know .... (others will know the ones I don't or correct me if I'm mistaken) ...
Snap dragons - never planted one in my garden, yet every garden I have had one has grown
Californian poppy will self seed it's little heart out
Marigold I've never had any luck with but you can collect the seed if yours grow
Morning glory ... you can certainly collect the seed and replant the following year (didn't realise there was a dwarf one) but haven't had more than 1 years experience of that one.
Aster: don't know
Lupin - I've never been fortunate enough to have them self seed in my garden. But, having said that, I did have the same one last for 2 years and was still going strong when I moved.
Sunflowers can seed themselves but I prefer to collect the seed I'd like and leave the rest for the birds. Not a prolific self seeder in my experience.
Gailardia: don't know.

 

Forget me knots are prolific self seeders

 

Next question how do you harvest the seeds lol I sound like a dumb**s now

 

I think you sound keen and interested and that does not a dumb**s make

Once they have finished flowering the seeds will begin to develop where the flower dies back. For most annuals this will be around Autumn time. The way I harvest seed is to take a small envelope (I write on it first what I'm collecting) then I either: a) bend the stalk of the flower/seed head into the envelope and give it a good shake to get the seeds to fall out; or, b) I snip the stem off and pop it head first into the envelope.

With sunflower heads, I chop one off (one holds a LOT of seed!) leave it to dry off a few days, then break it apart and pull out all the seeds. I was very successful with my Russian Giants one year and some of our GC members were given seed ... think @Zigs is still growing them a couple of years on (I feel like a Russian Giant Grandmother )

 

Thankyou that really helps I can't wait to sow, watch, harvest kind of exciting playing God with flowers, I have my garden plan in my head and my 3 kids will love harvesting. Seeds to.

As for the sweet peas as mentioned in another post about my naturist neighbour do you reckon sweet pea would make a nice screen like flower along the fence

 

Only dumb questions on here are the ones you don't ask

We're all here to help

Yep still growing the
Подсолнухи.

(Pronounced Podsolnukhi )

 

Not enough to make a thick enough cover for your nudist colony

Now for that, you need to think about whether you want evergreen all year round cover and then maybe sweet peas for a seasonal colour (not to mention it's delicious perfume ... to off set any sweaty naked summers bodies wafting passed your fence )

Or, perhaps you would prefer just a summer barrier?

 

Don't suppose you have a couple of seeds spare do you? I haven't got any for here

 

I know she a fruit loop but don't think she silly enough to go out in garden in winter nude that would be an awful sight

I'll figure something out I might put the sweet pea next to my gazebo to grow round, are they fast spreaders, they look nice they are turquoise lagoon

 

Ooh, very pretty Jason

Things to consider to cover that area:-
1: how long an area are you covering?
2: how thick do you want the coverage?
Bear in mind that to give good coverage you will most likely need to plant several things. For example, in my previous house my rear fence had growing along it:-

Passionflower; pyracantha (3 types); sweet peas; sunflowers; Jerusalem artichokes; Virginia creeper; clematis; rosa rugosa (3 types) and volunteer tall tomatoes.​

I still didn't achieve a very thick coverage (but then I was only there for 4 years) but sufficient that we stopped noticing the fence. Which would work for you insomuch that your children wouldn't necessarily "see" your neighbours because what is growing up and around the fence would hold their interest (until they're teens )

 

It's a weed in my opinion. Sorry.

Possibly Convolvulus?

I might add that harvesting Eschscholzia californica is a giggle as ripe pods explode when you touch them. Use your thumb and the first two fingers in a pincer movement - you'll get the hang of it.