For years 17 years since I learned gardening, I've saved seeds for planting. A friend had introduced me to a family business called Eden Seeds. They sell organic non-GMO seeds where I could buy them by bulk. I read up about about Monsanto--glyphosates--RoundUp--BigAgriculture, and the like. That's how I got into growing some of our own veggies. Although, we couldn't stop the bugs and insects visit our gardens, but at least, if the plants are safe for the bugs to eat, the veggies and fruit should be safe for human consumption. In Spring, bull ants come out--they feed on green caterpillars. So, bull ants are welcome visitors to the small Brasiccas. My children caught the ants to put them in to the gardens. A blue-toungued lizzard is welcome to eat the slugs and snails, as well. Ladybugs feast on aphids that infest the roses, late broccoli plants and cabbages. Saving seeds from their purest origin reaped benefits. Still keeping them in cool storage.
I agree with you seeds are good to save and maybe share. The library I go to share seeds to plant and usually it's vegetables. Something I've learned about pests in gardens is that marigold planted stops pests from entering your garden. The flowers are golden so they spruce the look of the garden and I think marigold can be planted anywhere easily. It's so difficult to see your garden being feasted by pests than yourself. After you've worked so hard growing your vegetables you'd like to eat them not share them with pests. Good luck in your garden for harvesting!
You are right. Calendulas are Marigolds I surround the lettuces, mainly. We add the orange petals into our green salads as well.
We also save some seeds for future planting. In fact, when our cashew tree would bear fruits - that's in May usually - we would save some nuts (that's the seed of the cashew) for storage. Also, we would plant some seeds for giveaways. This summer we planted 2 red variety and 1 standard variety. They are now seedlings that are ready to go if there are takers. Yes, we give them for free. A colleague of my husband had planted the vegetable called Bataw, a native vegetable that grows in vines and bears lots of fruits. My husband picked 2 brown pods. He would be keeping it for future planting. It's rainy season now and it is the best time for planting. However, it is difficult to clean the garden of weeds when the ground is wet or worse, muddy. So probably those seeds would be planted sometime in November when the rains are not that heavy anymore.
We save some seeds such as peas, okra, and peppers. Sometimes I'll save seeds from hybrid vegetables just to see what I'll get. One year I planted habanero peppers (very hot) next to Red Marconi peppers (mild). then saved seeds from the Marconi. We got a long pepper like the Marconi but much smaller diameter that was about as hot as a jalapeno. We sliced and canned several jars of them. Peppers are fun to do that with because they cross so easily.