Every year I garden I learn more and more. I used to garden with aesthetics in mind and keeping my garden looking what I thought to be beautiful. Understanding the process nature uses in plants has changed my opinion of what is beautiful. I used to never let me plants go to seed or flower, thinking this looked unkept.
This year, I let a few vegetable plants flower to try something different and in the process I’ve become fascinated with saving seeds the plant provides. It makes so much sense in that letting certain plants flower provides food for the bees and we also were able to keep seeds for next year.
Here is how to save your basil seeds:
Let the plant flower; this means stop pinching your plant once the season is coming to an end. Every now and then I would still harvest some basil leaves from the bottom of the plant if a dish really needed that yummy touch that only basil can provide!
On the stalks you will see flower heads that eventually turn brown and dry out.
Once totally dried, pinch these brown flower heads off and open them up to find your basil seeds!
It takes some time to find a method that works for you, but I took my time, sat in the sun and opened up these dried flowers one by one to collect the tiny black basil seeds to save for next year’s planting. This is a great activity to do with kids that have mastered their fine motor skills!
