Adventures in seed-saving

Growing from seed is a rewarding, cost-efficient and fascinating way to start the vegetable and flower garden each year. Packets of seeds range from a mere 10 cents (American Seed Co.) to about $3 (Franchi) for what amounts to enough seed to produce food and flower gardens for me and many of my friends.
Compare that to nursery pack prices, which while not prohibitive, are definitely more expensive. Plus, by growing from seed, I expand (wildly, in fact) the variety of flowers and vegetables in my garden. “Nebraska Wedding,” “Garden Peach,” and “Black from Tula” are just some of the tomatoes readily available by seed, but almost never at nurseries.
Growing from seed takes patience and a little fortitude. You also have to brace for disappointing setbacks (dampening off), unexpected surprises (the dog ate the seedlings), and predictable problems (forgot to water them for a week).