I don’t usually think about saving seeds for next year in May, when flowers have barely started blooming. Then again, as I’ve come to understand, things are different in Texas. I was looking at the marigolds I had transplanted last week and noticed a few of the flowers were dried up, so I bent down to pick off those dried petals, pulling up the seeds attached to the stem.

I scattered a few in the dirt next to the tomatoes and then it hit me. It’s not too early to save the seeds, right? I gathered up the rest of the seeds on the dead flowers, then found a place in the garage where I could lay them flat so they could dry out the rest of the way.

Later that day (or maybe it was the next) on a walk around the neighborhood, I kept special watch, hoping I’d find some wildflowers that were dried up and could add to my marigold seed collection.

Jackpot! Found a good handful of Texas bluebonnets (at right) that were ready to go to seed. I snapped off the seed pods and tossed them in my pocket. Once I got home, I set them on a piece of paper to dry, like the marigolds.

It’s a good start for my seed collection, doncha think? Can’t wait to add seeds from the cosmos and zinnia flowers in my three-tier bed once they’ve completed their cycle of life. Might even try to get seeds out of my purple and pink petunias, too. It seems weird that I’m already collecting seeds in May, yet strangely comforting. It means my garden has a future. And I like the sound of that.