The Ojai Garden

Thirty-four people came to the City of Ojai Community Demonstration Garden Saturday to attend master gardener Julian Hoyle's workshop on seed collection.Julian, an excellent speaker who has worked in the seed industry all over the world, shared his vast knowledge of all things seed-related with the workshop participants.Julian began by giving the group a crash course in basic botany, that included a lesson in plant genetics. Participants learned how to select a plant to use for seed collection, when to harvest seeds, how to extract seeds, how to prepare seeds for storage, and the best ways to store them. After the talk, Julien wowed everyone when he demonstrated how to pollinate a tomato flower by hand. When the demonstration was finished, Julian led the group into the garden. Participants were able to see a variety of plants that had gone to seed. Julian showed the group which seeds were ready for harvest. He also demonstrated how to remove seeds from different plants.Everyone enjoyed the workshop and left ready to save seeds from their own gardens. Photos by Les Dublin.