Saving Mignonette Seed

This post is part of my series on saving cut flower seeds.

Please see the Save Your Own Cut Flowers post about methods for selecting, harvesting, processing, and storing your seeds!

Mignonette

Reseda alba, R. odorata

I know folks come and go with their love for this flower, but it’s a huge favorite of mine. To save seed, it does take some extra waiting, so I can only recommend it if you love this flower and enjoy watching it complete its life cycle, or if it’s easy because you’ve left a patch in the field and don’t need the bed space. Wait for the spikes to form their little green pods, and for those pods to turn brown. Then cut the spikes and allow them to further dry on a screen for 1-2 weeks. When the pods are super crisp, crunch them between your hands or against a screen to release the seeds.

After rubbing, pass your batch through your screens and winnow to remove light material. You should get a good amount of seed that will be much less expensive than buying it in and will germinate like a dream. Store in a freezer if you have space, or in a cool dark place that has a stable temperature.

Learn more about seed saving and other gardening topics in my workshops!

Mignonette in the garden.

Tiny mignonette flowers.