Seed saving questions from a novice

Hi guys! I am new to seed saving and I have a couple of questions? They will likely seem dumb but I'm asking anyway.

My Dusty Miller was loaded with blooms this year and I let them dry on the plant. I cut them and now I need to know something. I am pulling the dried flower out of the "hip" and need to know if those are the seeds. Can Dusty Miller be grown from seeds if these are indeed the seeds?

Thanks for your help.

I have included a pic of the flower I have pulled apart. Hope you can tell what I am asking.

Here is my second question.

I have grown some very delicious heirloom tomatoes this year and want to save the seeds. My FIL always sqirts the seeds onto a paper towel and lets them dry. I have done this but need to know how to get the seeds off the paper towel without damaging them. Also, is there anything I need to do to them before storing them. they are completely dry.

I have included pics of them.

Thankyou for your help.

This message was edited Aug 26, 2008 6:33 PM

Here is a pic of the yellow ones.

Those little nubby bits do look like seeds to me, but I've never grown Dusty Miller (from seed or even at all), so I'm not certain.

About the tomato seed... If you go to the resource "sticky" thread at the top of the tomato forum, you'll find a link to a tutorial Horseshoe did on fermenting/saving tomato seeds. You can do it the way you did (just scrape the dried seeds off the paper towel with your fingernail), but fermenting improves germination and also guards against disease transmission. If you are planning to trade your seeds, either ferment them or make it very clear that you didn't. Sometimes I dry mine on a paper plate or coffee filter for easier removal than using paper towel.

Thankyou so much for your quick reply. I'll check it out asap.

I read the instructions from Shoe and I have 3 jars of mash going now. Thanks for the information. I'll eat a mater in your honor next spring. LOL

:-)