And how are our seeds produced?

We collect some of our seeds from the wild and grow others ourselves.

Seed harvesting

Collecting seeds in the wild

Some of our seeds are harvested in their natural habitat, in the wild, such as yarrow, mullein, lady's bedstraw, foxglove, ... These are therefore wild-collected seeds and are, for the most part, of local origin.

The choice of collection site is important. We favour places protected by the surrounding landscape and forests, away from towns and conventional crops, and where the species is present in sufficient numbers. For example, meadowsweet, wild carrot, red campion and hogweed grow spontaneously on our plots, which makes them easier to harvest.

This type of harvesting is often more demanding because we need to know where to collect, be certain of the botanical identification, and then regularly monitor flowering so that we can be in the right place at the right time.

These wild collections account for around 25% of our harvests. Specific harvests can also be carried out on request (contact us for specific orders).

Growing plants for seed production

The remaining seeds is harvested from cultivated plants. These come from direct sowing in the ground for annual plants (as shown below with sulphur cosmos and cornflower) and/or from our own plants for biennials and perennials (yellow sweet clover, common sage, ...). See Our methods to find out more about our nursery work.

The seeds are harvested when fully mature, in dry weather to make drying easier, and entirely by hand (depending on the species, using our hands, scissors or secateurs). The harvest is placed in kraft paper bags or spread out on sheets to dry. Each harvest is carefully identified (species name, place and year of harvest).

We adapt our harvesting methods and precautions because they vary according to the species or family: degree of maturity, part harvested (whole plant, flowering tops or just the fruits), tools and techniques used, etc.

Drying the seeds

Most of the seeds are dried naturally. However, for some species containing a lot of water (as is the case with Boraginaceae) or harvested late in the season (as is the case with Artemisia species), a dehumidifier is necessary, hence the use of a drying cabinet.

Threshing, sorting and cleaning the seeds

This stage of cleaning and sorting the seeds takes place when it is no longer possible to work outdoors, in late autumn.

Threshing consists of releasing the seeds and separating them from plant material surrounding them. For teasel, evening primrose and hoary rocket, threshing in a bag (by beating it with a stick) or in a tub (using our feet) allows the seeds to be detached from their plant material.

To refine the sorting and isolate the seeds, all techniques are useful: blowing, using airflow, or relying on gravity (for round seeds). It is a succession of sieving and winnowing, using traditional tools and simple, time-honoured techniques.

Before packaging, all seeds are stored in a dry place, protected from light, at a cool and constant temperature and with humidity kept as stable as possible.

To take things further: to practise, learn the right techniques and gain the knowledge needed to harvest seeds properly, consider taking our "Seed Harvesting and Sowing" course, offered as part of the Vieilles Racines et Jeunes Pousse association.