Illinois Valley Herb Guild hears about seed saving

Master Gardeners Barb Dahlbach and Sharon Gallup presented a program on Seed Saving and Project Wingspan at the Nov. 14 meeting of the Illinois Valley Herb Guild.

Members learned about seed saving preservation and participation in a statewide native seed collection program. They also learned about winter sowing.

Participants were given seeds, presented with techniques for saving seeds and creating their own winter sowing terrarium. Instruction and demonstrations included seed saving for vegetables, flowers and native wildflowers. Many chose to create winter terrariums with native wildflower seeds that require stratification and will germinate in the spring.

Master gardeners also talked about Project Wingspan’s Seed Collection Training. Many of the local master gardener’s and naturalists have been trained and certified to participate in seed collection teams and submit species of native seed to the Mason State Nursery for the purpose of increasing native plantings across the state.

For more information about the Master Gardener/Master Naturalist program or becoming a master gardener or master naturalist, contact Bettyann Harrison at 309-364-2536 or email bettyann@illinois.edu. Trainings for master gardeners are offered online throughout the year. Jan. 10 is the deadline for registering for the online course beginning Jan. 29.