Top tip
WITH packets of vegetable seeds readily available in garden centres, you may question the idea of saving your own. If you want to grow a named variety with set characteristics, then yes: buy packet seeds or save seed from simple-to-collect veg. But if you fancy trial and error, breeding your own locally tuned-in veg selection, why not use your own seed?
Flower type is key: some veg blooms self-pollinate readily (such as French beans and tomatoes), so saving a named variety is easy. Others readily cross-pollinate (such as carrots and onions), so either leave these to the seed merchants or have a bit of fun collecting homegrown seed and see what you end up with. You never know, you might accidentally breed a winner!