Zinnias are one of my favorite flowers to save seeds from as they are easy to grow and attract plenty of butterflies. They come in a variety of forms, including single or double blooms and a wide range of colors.

I haven’t bought any zinnia seeds for years but do admit to “borrowing” a few flowers from my friend Marilyn’s Garden that I didn’t have. When the flower fades and starts to dry out, clip it off the stem and lay out to finish drying. I also take flowers from my table arrangements once they start to dry. Once they have dried, I store them in my shed until spring. When planting time comes around, I just dig up my planting bed and crumble the whole dried flower up, covering it lightly with soil. Water lightly.

Another flower seed that is easy to save is calendula, commonly known as pot marigold. This flowering herb produces bright yellow or orange, daisy-like blooms. With regular deadheading, calendula will flower continuously from spring until fall. The petals are edible and can be added to salads and soups; they are sometimes called the “poor man’s saffron” for their spicy flavor and vibrant color. The seeds are small and crescent shaped. Simply scatter them over prepared soil, cover lightly with a thin layer of soil and water gently.

Coneflowers (Echinacea) are perennials that attract butterflies and bees. In the fall, the seed heads left after blooming will attract flocks of yellow finches. They will naturally self-seed and spread but are also easy to move to other parts of your garden by cutting off the dried flower heads and scattering them in the new location.

Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia) is another perennial that self-seeds and is simple to relocate by spreading the seeds. It’s also an excellent pollinator. Allowing seed heads to stand in your garden will also attract birds that come to feed. This also allows for self-seeding.

Hollyhocks are perennial flowers that add color and height to your landscape. They grow from 3 to 8 feet tall, adding a tall backdrop to your garden. They may often need support while growing. They come in a wide variety of colors blooming in summer and fall attracting birds and make excellent cut flowers for your flower arrangements. They are also self-seeding. Here is how to start them outdoors. First, scatter seeds only in spring and summer until about two months before the first frost. Don’t cover them with soil as you need sunlight to reach the seeds to encourage germination.

Marigold is a reliable annual bedding flower coming in various sizes and colors. Pinching back the early flower buds will cause your plant to bush out, resulting in a more dramatic season of flowering. Regular deadheading will encourage blooms all summer. Many times, marigolds self-seed, making it unnecessary to replant. Their large, easy-to-handle seeds make it easy to collect and move to a new location.

These are just a few of the many flower seeds that can be collected from dried flower heads, saved over the winter and planted in the spring to extend your garden’s beauty and bounty.

Baytos is an Ohio State University Extension Master Gardener Volunteer in Mahoning County.