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There’s one thing better than growing your own plants and that is growing them from seed you have saved yourself. For the job at hand, most of the materials that you will need can be found in your kitchen; re-sealable containers, greaseproof paper, kitchen paper, paper bags, jugs, a strainer, newspaper, envelopes, stickers, scissors, a pen, clothes pegs and stockings. You can do it indoors or outdoors, but it is essential that you do it in still air. Outdoors is probably best if you are an asthmatic because there is a chance that you will be creating some dust.

Some seeds store better than others do, and try to collect fruit that are ripe. Palm seeds of Wallichia densiflora are not good for saving. Coming from tropical areas, they must be sown immediately they are ripe. However, seeds from the Dwarf Date Palm Phoenix roebelinii save relatively well. It is fun to save the seeds of Camellia cv. as they are quite promiscuous and you never know what beauties you might get. Try to select fruit that is ripe. Clivia miniata seeds are bright red when perfectly ripe. Make sure that nothing has been at the seeds before you collect them – pre-chewed seeds will not be good for saving. Some pods, such as African Hemp Sparrmannia africana, are protected by spines, which are soft when the seeds are unripe, but harden up as the seeds ripen and can be quite dangerous.

Many plants, such as Tabernaemontana sp., have succulent fruit. The flesh will inhibit germination, so before you can start saving seed it will need to be scooped out of the pod and removed by gently rubbing through a wire kitchen strainer. Leave the seed in water for several days so it can ferment, which will help remove any chemicals that will impede germination after the storage process. Viable seed should sink in the water.

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