Question
My sister gave me "seed" or rather large pods from her Rose of Sharron.  I don't know whether to plant the entire pod, or dry them over the winter then open the pod and plant the seeds.  Please advise

Answer
Hi Terri,
Thanx for your question.  Just remove the brown pods (they look like miniature eggs) and you'll find seeds inside.  Open the pods up over a paper plate and the seeds will fall out.  Start them in January by sprinkling them on top of soil in a pot or seedflat and then lightly cover them with soil.  They germinate rapidly at 75F (probably about 2 weeks).  Keep the seedlings under a 40-watt shop light suspended about 8 inches above.  After the last frost, you can take the plants outdoors and keep them in the shade for about 10 days and then plant in direct sun.  These shrubs are fast growers from seed and are in the same family as the Hibiscus.  Rose-of-Sharon is Hibiscus syriacus.  I hope this helps.
Tom