| A. Sure! It’s a great time
to be gathering seeds, and a fun thing to do with kids. Wait until
the seeds are completely mature. You may want to gather them over
the next several weeks. Clean them and let them dry completely on
a screen or tray indoors. They will rot if you store them while
they’re still moist. Put the dried seeds in a jar or envelope
and be sure to label and date! You can keep them in the refrigerator
or freezer for a year or longer, depending on the seed. You can
also include small packets of dessicant—available at craft
stores—to keep them dry.
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 Mexican
Mint Marigold (Tagetes lucida)
Equally at home in the herb garden and perennial flower border,
Mexican Mint Marigold (Tagetes lucida) does double duty
as a culinary herb and beautiful fall flowering plant. It's a dependable
perennial returning each year to form a mounded plant 2-3 feet in
height. In fall the plant is covered with a multitude of small yellow,
single ½-inch blooms. Plant it in a well-drained soil with
full sun for best results. The leaves have a distinctive, pleasing
anise-like scent (similar to those black jelly beans!). They are
used in herbal teas and as a substitute for tarragon in herbal vinegars,
salad dressings and sauces.
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