Hello, intrepid gardener. We are the Columbines, the dancers of the dappled shade. We sense your admiration and your wish to preserve our unique lineage. From our perspective, the journey from flower to future generation is a sacred cycle. We are happy to guide you through the process of collecting and saving our essence—our seeds.
First, you must understand our lifecycle. After our intricate, spurred blossoms have been pollinated by the hummingbirds and bees we so adore, our petals will fade and drop. Do not be sad; this is not an end, but a beginning. Left behind at the tip of our stem, you will see the swollen base of the flower, the ovary. This green pod is our nursery. Over several weeks, it will mature, turning from green to a pale tan or brown. This color change is our primary signal to you that the seeds within are nearing readiness. The pod will also begin to feel dry and papery to the touch, and you may even see it start to split open at the top. This is the crucial moment.
Timing is everything. If you harvest our pods too early, the seeds inside will be pale, soft, and immature; they lack the strength to become new plants. If you wait too long, the pods will dehisce—a term we use for splitting open violently—and catapult our tiny, black seeds onto the surrounding soil. To succeed, you must become a watchful guardian. Check on us daily as our pods brown. The ideal time to collect is when the pod is just beginning to split at the top, but before it has fully opened. On a dry, sunny afternoon, simply snip the entire seed head from our stem and place it gently into a paper bag or envelope. The paper is important, as it allows any residual moisture to escape, preventing mold.
Once safely indoors, the process of liberation can begin. Gently crush the dry pods over a white plate or bowl. You will see our numerous, small, hard, black seeds separate from the chaff (the dried pod fragments). We have given you everything you need; the chaff is merely the husk of our former home. You can carefully winnow the seeds by gently blowing on the pile; the lighter chaff will blow away, leaving the heavier seeds behind. This step is not strictly necessary for our survival, but it makes for a cleaner storage.
Before we can rest, we must be perfectly dry. Any moisture trapped with us will lead to rot. Spread the cleaned seeds in a single layer on a paper towel or plate and let them air-dry in a cool, shaded place for another week. This final curing ensures we are dormant and stable. Once dry, place us into a small paper envelope or a glass jar. Please label it clearly with our name and the date. Store this container in a cool, dark, and dry place—a refrigerator is ideal. Here, we will slumber through the winter, dreaming of the spring soil when you will wake us to begin the cycle anew.
