Calhoun County, AL – As winter settles in, many gardeners turn to seed catalogs and greenhouse dreams. For one local gardener, however, the season begins by searching through years of carefully kept garden notes. The goal is simple: select the favorite seeds that will bring color, height, and life back to the landscape in spring.
Each year, a collection of beloved seeds is harvested and saved for future planting. These tried-and-true varieties have proven their beauty and resilience, offering dramatic height, vibrant color, and valuable benefits for pollinators and wildlife alike.
Among the standouts are Castor Beans, known for their ability to reach more than seven feet tall in hot weather. Their striking wine and bronze stalks and bold leaves provide a dramatic backdrop that contrasts beautifully with red, yellow, and orange blooms.
Orange Tickseed is another favorite, thriving in full sun and growing to impressive heights of up to nine feet. Its fern-like, plush foliage creates a soft visual texture, while its blooms draw bees and butterflies throughout the growing season.
Towering Mammoth Sunflowers deliver classic summer charm, producing giant stalks that can reach nine feet tall. Their cheerful blooms and abundant seeds support pollinators during the season and provide a valuable winter food source for birds.
For perennial beauty, White Shasta Daisies remain a garden staple. With bright yellow centers and crisp white petals, they spread easily once established and are simple to transplant. Yellow Asters, another perennial favorite, can grow over four feet tall and bring lasting color to late-season gardens.
Gardeners seeking bold color and prolific seed production will appreciate the Yellow Wild Hybrid Hibiscus (Mallow), which grows up to four feet tall and produces dozens of seed pods each season. Meanwhile, Mexican Torch Orange Sunflowers add height and brilliance to the landscape, attracting bees and butterflies while supplying seeds for winter birds.
For dramatic blooms, Double Scarlet Flame Zinnias grow as tall as seven feet, producing flower heads twice the size of standard varieties. Blanket Flowers, with their striking tri-colored petals in yellow, orange, and maroon, offer perennial roots that tolerate winter and return year after year.
A newer addition to the favorite seed collection is the Red Vining Purple Hyacinth Bean, first planted in 2024. Of five beans planted, three thrived—producing nine-foot reddish-purple vines adorned with lavender blooms and dangling purple pods. The ornamental bean quickly became a standout for both beauty and productivity.
These carefully saved seeds demonstrate how essential they are to a thriving landscape. Trees, shrubs, vines, bulbs, corms, tubers, and rhizomes all play their part—but without the vibrant addition of annual and perennial seeds, many gardens would lack the color and charm that make them truly eye-catching.
As spring approaches, gardeners are encouraged to experiment with new varieties and revisit trusted favorites. With the right seeds, the rewards of the growing season are only a sowing away.
Betty Clark is a contributing writer. She has been an organic gardener since 1998. The signature flower she grows is Dahlias. She has a straw bale garden, a raised bed garden, and an in-ground garden. Both her surnames are from agricultural farming families (8 generations). Her hobbies include ancestry research, antiques, continued education classes, and workshops. She also has a background in marketing & promotions, including expos. To contact Betty Clark with gardening questions: bettyclark2151959@gmail.com
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