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and shape of its flowers.The day before you intend to pollinate your plant, cut at least one fully open flower from the father plant, making sure it has 2.5cm (1in) of stem. Bring this flower into the house and float it in a shallow bowl of water overnight

It's really easy to extract and sow seed from fruits you've collected, and it's also free. Plants grown from seed aren't always exactly like the parent plant, unlike those grown from cuttings, so look forward to results that could be new, different

Save money by collecting and storing seed of your favourite hardy annuals, to sow next year. Saving seed from pot marigold, Calendula officinalis, couldn't be easier. Ensure you allow the seedheads to fully develop on the plant before collecting

and shrubs. If you're new to gardening, limit yourself to growing one or two types of annuals. Sow about 20 seeds to see how you get on. You can always sow more a week or two later.SeedsSeed compost Seed trays or potsPlant labelsPencil or waterproof pen