Seeds are the essence of life on earth, providing the genetic information needed for every plant we currently use for growing food, harvesting for clothing, and creating homes and furniture with. For the everyday person they are vital for the creation of gardens and plant life, while for others they represent the future of the earth as in the case of the Doomsday Seed Vault in Norway which opened in March 2008 with the intention of housing more than 3 million seed samples from around the world. While you will never need to store three million seed samples, you may need to preserve a handful for next year s growing season. Which is why this book was developed to help any individual who is seeking to start preserving their own seeds for future use and growing. You will learn everything you need to know to effectively grow and preserve seeds, starting with process of sowing the seeds at the very start. From there you will learn how to seed the plants until they bloom and how to select plants for harvesting and saving seeds. The process of collecting the seeds is outlined in detail with information about annual vegetables, biennial and perennial vegetables, annual flowers, and biennial and perennial flowers. You will learn the optimal germination temperatures for your plants as well as the best vegetables that are easiest to save for seed. Dozens of gardening experts from all walks of life have been interviewed and have provided their insights on how you can specially treat your plants for germination and what varieties are out there, including open pollinating plants. You will be provided a zone map to show you which plants are best for your region and additional resources in appendices for where to order materials and more information. For anyone who has ever wanted to grow and save their own seeds, this book is ideal for your situation. Atlantic Publishing is a small, independent publishing company based in Ocala, Florida. Founded over twenty years ago in the company president s garage, Atlantic Publishing has grown to become a renowned resource for non-fiction books. Today, over 450 titles are in print covering subjects such as small business, healthy living, management, finance, careers, and real estate. Atlantic Publishing prides itself on producing award winning, high-quality manuals that give readers up-to-date, pertinent information, real-world examples, and case studies with expert advice. Every book has resources, contact information, and web sites of the products or companies discussed.