verbena

hiya all just looking at my verbena the tall purple one begins with something like bonasaries ( excuse spelling) and although it usually self seeds i thought i heard monty don say that he will be taking seeds from this plant so can any one tell me how to do this?

Put a paper bag over the flower then bend it down so the seeds don't fall out and give it a shake. If the flower is over and dry the seeds should fall into the bag.

The main problem is that you should only try to collect seeds on a dry day, sometimes if we have too many wet days in a row I cut the flower head with the stem and try and dry it off upside down in a paper bag but this can be a little random.

thank you so much i will give it a gp

I saw Monty Don taking non-flowering cuttings. I believe these verbena bonarienses are supposed to be perennials but I have lost most of them each winter for the last couple of years. This year I have gone around gathering the small seedlings and potted them up and they will over winter in the green house. I really love these spare architectural plants, they really add something to the flower beds.

What do you do with Verbena Bonariensis at the end of the season? It grew very well this year but has now been battered by the wind and is leaning over on to the front patio. 

I will be collecting seeds too if by some miracle we get a few dry days.

At the end of the season I take some seeds and shake other seed heads over the ground where I want it (seedlings pop up the following year), then I cut it down.

Thanks Lizzie, I'll follow your advice. 

i have had this plant for years i dont treat it very welli have dug it up each time i have moved it still self seeds everywhere it gets battered by the winds as i live next to a field so what i did last year was half the plants i cut to ground level,and the other half i cut only to around 18 inch from ground to see what would happen if anything they both came back,but found the ones i had cut to ground level were about 4 ft high the others were 6 to 8ft high and much bushier and all i do every year around sept it pull bits off and stick them in a pot and leave them outside the back door every one of them takes