Early seed collecting

We have been harvesting our wildflower seeds early this year. Normally we would start harvesting in late August, but it has been so dry this year some of the seeds are ready now. We collected red campion, lots of poppy, oxeye daisy, pot marigold and some crucifers (not sure whether they will grow, as they maybe hybrid). The yarrow and knapweed are later flowering, so we will collect them in August. What do we do with the seeds collected ? Well, they are now dry, collected in small paper bags and can be stored until the winter or next spring. We will prepare the soil by cultivating it in the autumn, but won’t fertilise or add compost, to keep the soil as poor as possible. This is better for the wildflowers. We will sow around the apple trees in the autumn or spring to provide a nectar source for insects next summer. It’s easy to do and means you don’t need to buy the seed next year.