Not claiming this is superior to anyone else's methods (particularly given my recent whine about my success this year), but I tried to take a series of photos (some did not come out as well as I would have liked), to show how I go about it. If someone wants to say how they do it differently that would be welcome. I thought it also might help those new to the process.
Well it starts with the flower I'm going to use as a male (you can simply try to vibrate a flower over a lens, but I usually harvest at least one flower for 'processing'
Mature flower collected:
FlowerForCollectingPollen.jpg
I take this flower inside and strip it to its anther cone:
PollenDonorAnther.jpg
The anther is removed and placed in a dish to dry over night (helps release the pollen). The anther usually breaks apart, but that's ok -- I make sure the variety is labeled on the dish:
AntherDryingoverNight.jpg
The next day, I use tweezers to pick up the anther/anther pieces. I take a toothpick [not shown] and try to tap the anther piece to release pollen onto a sunglasses lens, If tapping doesn't work, I scrap the toothpick over the inside of the anther to try to extract pollen:
TransferPollentoLens.jpg
I then store the pollen on the lens in a container with a drying agent in the container. Transfer the label to the container. I place a lid on the container and place it in the refrigerator:
PolleninStorage.jpg
When you're ready to pollinate, take the container out and let it warm up gradually. If you remove the lens immediately, you will get condensation on the lens and damage the pollen.
Choose your flower to pollinate. Opalka and Shannon (both wispy/droopy folliage types have very long sepals, which makes judging the readiness of the flower a little more difficult). In retrospect this blossom is a little young:
BlossomChosen.jpg
Cut/strip the sepals and petals off the blossom. You now are down to the anther cone. Usually at this point I remove one section of the anther cone (shown) by slipping my knife under it to take it off -- it makes it much easier to remove the rest of anther:
FlowerStrippedtoAnther.jpg
Finish removing the anther cone:
AntherConeRemoved.jpg
Apply pollen from the lens to the pistil:
ApplyingPollen.jpg
Put a label on the blossom:
FlowerLabeled.jpg
Record the cross on paper:
RecordedCrosses.jpg