Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): Recojo semillas de rosas en el jardín de mi casa. - I collect rose seeds in the garden of my house.

Because of a spelling change in the verb recoger. The sound of g before e/i is like a harsh h (as in Spanish gente), but before o/a it’s a hard g. To keep the same sound in the yo form, Spanish changes g → j: recoger → yo recojo. The same change appears in the present subjunctive: recoja, recojas, recoja, recojamos, recojan.

Do I need to include the subject pronoun yo in Yo recojo?

No. Spanish usually drops subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows the subject. Recojo is the natural form. Use Yo recojo only for emphasis or contrast (e.g., “Others don’t, but I do”).

What’s the difference between Recojo and Estoy recogiendo?

Recojo (simple present) can mean a habitual action or something happening now, depending on context.
Estoy recogiendo (present progressive) focuses on an action in progress “right now.” Both are correct; choose the one that matches your intended nuance.

Is recoger the best verb here? What about recolectar, cosechar, juntar, or coger?

recoger: to pick up/collect (general and safe in Latin America).
recolectar: to collect/harvest (often agricultural or organized collection).
cosechar: to harvest crops (less common for seeds unless in a farming context).
juntar: to gather things together (more casual).
Avoid coger in Latin America because it’s vulgar there (safe in Spain only).

Why is there no article before semillas?

Spanish often omits the article with plural, non-specific nouns. Recojo semillas ≈ “I pick up (some) seeds.”
Use:

unas semillas to stress “some, a few.”
las semillas when referring to specific, known seeds.

Should it be semillas de rosa or semillas de rosas? And what about semillas para rosas?

semillas de rosa(s) are both acceptable:
- de rosa = generic type (“rose seed” as a category).
- de rosas = seeds from rose plants (very common).
semillas para rosas means “seeds intended for growing roses,” but for plant seeds the standard is semillas de rosas.

Could rosas here mean the color “pink”?

No. In this sentence rosas clearly refers to the flower. The color rosa is invariable (no plural agreement: “camisas rosa”), but semillas de rosas means “seeds of roses (the plants).”

Why does jardín have an accent?

Spanish words ending in a vowel, n, or s are normally stressed on the next-to-last syllable. Here the stress is on the last syllable (jar-DÍN), so it requires a written accent: jardín. Leaving it off is a spelling mistake.

Can I just say en mi jardín instead of en el jardín de mi casa?

Yes. En mi jardín is shorter and natural. En el jardín de mi casa clarifies ownership more explicitly (my house’s garden, not a public garden) or adds formality/detail. Both are correct.

Why is it de mi casa and not something like del mi casa or de la mi casa?

de + el contracts to del (e.g., del jardín), but there’s no contraction with mi.
Spanish doesn’t double up articles and short possessives. It’s de mi casa, not de la mi casa.

Does en mean “in” or “at” here? What if I want to say “from the garden”?

en can mean “in” or “at.” Here it’s location: “in the garden.”
To say “from the garden,” use de/del:

Recojo semillas… del jardín de mi casa.

How would I say “I collect seeds from the roses in my garden”?

Recojo semillas de las rosas de mi jardín.
More explicit: Recojo semillas de las rosas del jardín de mi casa.

Can I change the word order?

Yes, Spanish allows flexibility for emphasis:

Recojo semillas de rosas en el jardín de mi casa. (neutral)
En el jardín de mi casa recojo semillas de rosas. (emphasizes location)
Recojo en el jardín de mi casa semillas de rosas. (also possible, slightly heavier)

Any quick pronunciation tips for this sentence?

j and g before e/i sound like a throaty h: recojo, jardín.
ll in semillas is pronounced like English y in most of Latin America: “se-MI-yas.”
The stress falls on: re-CO-jo, se-MI-llas, jar-DÍN, CA-sa.

If I only pick up one seed, how do I say it?

Recojo una semilla de rosa.
With a specific rose: Recojo la semilla de la rosa. (very specific context)

Is jardín the same as “yard”? What about patio?

jardín: a garden/yard area with plants/grass.
patio: a paved or hard-surface area (often without grass). In many Latin American contexts, jardín corresponds to the green “yard.”