08/15/2026
Late summer into early fall may be my favourite time in the garden.
For me, this time of year doesnât mark the end of a season, but rather a transition into seed collecting, sowing cold-hardy annuals and perennials for next year, and the blooming of autumn flowers.
Seed collection is an especially important part of the flower farm. One of my goals is to gradually build a collection of seeds that I can save, sow and grow from year after year as the seasons progress.
When I moved to Maryland, I had to leave my seed collection behind. So this season, Iâm starting from scratch. đą
Milkweed is one of my favourite plants to let go to seed in the garden. The pods add beautiful structure as summer fades, and when they finally open, their seeds become the most delicate wisps of silk carried away on the wind.
This is swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata):
â˘Itâs a host plant for monarchs. Monarch caterpillars can only develop on milkweed, making plants like this incredibly important to their life cycle.
â˘It feeds pollinators. Its clusters of pink flowers are rich in nectar and attract bees, butterflies, moths and other nectar-loving insects.
â˘it is self sowing. Each seed is attached to a tuft of silky hairs called a coma, which helps carry it on the wind.
It thrives in full sun and moist soil, making it especially well suited to rain gardens, pond edges, wet meadows and those naturally damp spots in the garden where other plants might struggle. Once established, it can tolerate periods of drier soil, too.
There is still so much happening after the flowers are gone, seeds developing, insects feeding, birds eating coneflower seeds, wildlife using the stems, and plants preparing for another season.
A garden is never really finished and thatâs the fun partđ
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