Freighter View Farms

Imagine stepping into the garden early on a still summer morning, the soft light beginning to shimmer off the calm waters of Saginaw Bay. The air is cool and fresh, and the scent of dill gently lingers, carried by the breeze from the bay. There’s a quiet peace, with only the faint sound of the water lapping at the shore. The world feels as if it’s still waking up around you. You walk through the garden, your dill plants tall and swaying slightly, their seed heads heavy and full, waiting patiently to be harvested.

The seed heads, now a light brown, are ready to be gathered. Each one holds the promise of next year’s garden, a small but powerful reminder of the cycle of seasons that will soon come full circle. It’s late in the summer, but the garden’s work isn’t done yet. There’s something so fulfilling about saving these seeds, knowing that each one carries a piece of this year’s garden into the next. It’s almost like you’re tucking away a part of summer to rediscover when the cold winter days have passed and spring returns. The process is simple but meaningful, offering a chance to pause and appreciate the season’s end while preparing for a fresh beginning.

Once the seed heads are snipped, I bring them inside and sit at the kitchen table, with the bay still visible through the window, its calm waters reflecting the late summer sun. The room feels warm, not just from the light but from the satisfaction of knowing that these seeds will be tucked away for another season. I spread the dill heads out on a towel, giving them time to dry. There’s no rush—this is the part of the process that feels timeless, as if I’m carrying on a ritual that gardeners have done for generations. In a week or so, the seeds are ready, their scent filling the kitchen with a reminder of the garden.

How to Save Dill Seeds:

When your dill seed heads have turned brown and are fully dry, you can gently rub them between your fingers, and the seeds will fall easily into a bowl. The sound is soft, almost like a whisper, as the seeds release, one by one, from their stems. You can also place the seed heads in a paper bag and shake them to help the seeds loosen.

After collecting the seeds, make sure they’re completely dry—lay them out on a paper towel for another few days if needed. Once dry, store them in a labeled envelope or small jar, keeping them in a cool, dark place. These seeds will wait patiently through the winter months, holding onto the memory of those calm summer mornings by the bay.

When the snow falls and the garden sleeps under a blanket of frost, those dill seeds will rest quietly in your seed envelopes. But with the turn of the season, when spring finally arrives again, you’ll plant them, and the cycle will begin anew. The seeds you saved, now sprouting into new life, will carry with them the essence of summer mornings and the anticipation of the next season’s garden.

Saving seeds is more than just a practical task—it’s a way to hold onto the best parts of the garden, a connection to the warmth and beauty that summer brings. And as the garden rests in winter, you’ll know that a part of it is tucked away, waiting to return with the first signs of spring.