Tips on saving seeds for next year’s garden

Fall is more than sweaters, hot cocoa and pumpkins.

It's an excellent time to save seeds from your favorite flowers to plant next year. It's also a great way to save money and share with your fellow gardeners. So, sharpen your clippers and grab something to collect your bounty and head to the garden.

Your flowers are ready for harvest after they've faded and seed heads are brown and dry.

You want to harvest your seeds on a dry and sunny day after the dew has dried.

Make sure to label each collection container with the name of the flower and harvest date.

Even if the seeds seem dry, I like to spread them out in a well-ventilated area to ensure they are completely dry before storing.

This helps prevent mold and keeps the seeds in good condition. Now it's time to store your seeds in a cool, dry, dark place until you're ready to plant them next season.

Zinnias are my all-time favorite. I cut off the dried flower heads and store them with the petals attached to remember their color. In spring, I rub the dried flowers over prepared soil, lightly cover the seeds and keep the area moist until they germinate.

Marigolds are one of the easiest flowers from which to save seeds.

Let the flowers dry on the stem, then pull the petals apart to find dozens of narrow, dark seeds. They're also a lovely addition to vegetable gardens.

Sunflowers have large seeds that are easy to collect. Allow the back of the flower head to turn brown and the petals to drop off. This is one where I allow some stalks for birds to enjoy.

After rubbing the seed head by hand to loosen the seeds, I save some to season and dry for a snack, leaving plenty for next year's planting.

Coneflowers and black-eyed susans can be harvested once the flowers have dried.

Cut the seed heads into a paper bag and shake to release the seeds. I also leave some stalks for birds to enjoy, and sometimes scatter a few seed heads on the ground.

Calendula is a bright little flower that brightens your garden space.

They produce large curly seeds that are easy to identify and separate. Make sure they turn brown before you collect them.

Nasturtiums come in many different colors and add a spicy peppery addition to your salads by adding the edible flowers. Their seeds are easy to harvest as they develop in pods to collect when dry and brown.

They look like little wrinkled brown nuts.

Cosmos is an airy delicate flower that sways above your garden. They come in many colors, and you harvest the seeds by cracking the seedheads with your fingernail or rubbing between your fingers to separate the long narrow seeds.

These are just a few of my favorite flowers to save seeds every fall. With some research, you'll discover many other great choices that would work well in your gardens.