Kids seem to thrive on collecting things. Collecting the seeds from the plants that you grow each year in the garden can save effort, time and money in next year’s garden. Try to get the kids to collect seeds for the kids' garden.

Storing seeds
Most flower, herb and vegetable seeds have a shelf life of one year. Drying the seeds can prolong this shelf life. You can achieve this by drying them in the sun. Try to choose days where the temperature is at least 90 degrees. It can take up to two weeks to dry seeds this way.

The second way is to turn the oven to the lowest setting. Keep the oven temperature no more than about 100 degrees.

Once the seeds are completely dried, store them in airtight, moisture-free packages. You can put the dry seeds in freezer bags, label them and put them in the refrigerator or in a cool dry basement.

Choosing seeds to keep
The kids may ask which seeds to pick when you decide to collect seeds for next year's planting. How do you choose seeds that are viable for next year's planting?

First, choose seeds that are ready. Find out how long it takes the seeds to mature and review what the seeds of different flowers and vegetables should look like. There are many ways to harvest seeds, depending on the type.

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