Seed geeks will dig this

Make room in the fridge. Its dark recesses are the best place to stow the seed you save using this elegant Seed Saver Kit ($25). As pretty as a paint box, the compact kit supplies everything you’ll need for gathering seeds, keeping them safe and marking “mother” plants: airtight glass-topped tins, glassine envelopes, seed desiccant, labels, stakes, twine, collection bag and pencil, plus a reference guide for collecting, cleaning, storing and trading those tiny bundles of DNA.

Seed sources are endless: a scrumptious heirloom tomato from the farmers market; your own rose hybrid; a rare African succulent; your great-aunt’s petunias; or an especially golden California poppy (from the garden, of course, and not from the wild). Gathered and preserved properly, their seeds will be ready and viable when planting times are right.

Measuring only 6 1/2 inches by 5 1/2 inches by 1 inch, this is a perfect starter kit for a budding botanist or an amateur plant breeder. Additional seed tins are available (20 for $18). Order from www.seedsofchange.com.

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Lili Singer