The secrets of successful seed gathering

Toby explains how plants and trees set up natural defences and outlines what we can do to help

They might not be especially striking to look at–if you can see them at all–but seeds are among the natural world’s most awe-inspiring marvels, says John Lewis-Stempel

Saving your own seeds saves you money, helps you continue to grow important or favourite varieties, preserves links with the past and means you can share your seeds with others. But more importantly,

In September the garden is brimming with seeds – poppies, eryngiums, geraniums, lunarias, sanguisorbas, salvias, corydalis, sanguisorbas, gillenias and most of the grasses. Everything is there, just w

Unusual berries, boosting soil health, saving strawberry runners and sharing seeds

Tidy-up time is valuable as garden debris helps soil, wildlife and next year’s growth