Reasons to Celebrate Seedheads: Autumn Seed Collecting and Winter Interest in Devon Gardens
As autumn turns to winter in Devon, many gardeners in Dartington, Totnes, and across the South Hams start thinking about tidying up their borders. But before you cut everything back, take a moment to look more closely. Those dried flower heads and sculptural stems are more than garden leftovers — they’re miniature habitats, natural bird feeders, and beautiful design features that add character to your outdoor space through the colder months.
Beauty and Structure in the Winter Garden
Seedheads add form and texture to a winter landscape. Their silhouettes catch the low sunlight and sparkle with frost on crisp mornings — a reminder that even in the quiet season, there’s beauty to be found. In garden design, leaving plants like teasel, rudbeckia, echinacea, and sea holly standing brings height and structure to otherwise empty beds.
At Fallow & Fern Garden Design and Maintenance in Dartington, we often encourage clients to embrace this wilder, more natural aesthetic. It celebrates the full life cycle of plants and creates a softer transition into winter, rather than a sudden blank slate.
Supporting Wildlife and Biodiversity
Leaving seedheads in place isn’t just good design — it’s good for nature. They provide essential food and shelter for garden wildlife. Birds like goldfinches and sparrows feed on seeds from sunflowers, scabiosa, and evening primrose, while insects and pollinators overwinter inside hollow stems.
By keeping some of these structures in your garden, you’re creating a small wildlife sanctuary — something that’s especially valuable in our Devon countryside, where biodiversity is key to healthy ecosystems.
Collecting Seeds for Next Year
Late autumn and early winter are ideal times to collect seeds from your garden. Once the seedheads are dry and papery, simply shake or tap them into a labelled paper envelope. Store them somewhere cool and dry until spring. This simple, sustainable habit allows you to grow new plants for free while reducing waste — a principle that’s at the heart of ecological garden design and maintenance.
Plants like fennel, evening primrose, zinnia, mullein, and hemp agrimony are especially easy to collect from. Many of these will also self-seed naturally, ensuring a lush and wildlife-friendly garden next year with very little intervention.
A Devon Garden that Works with Nature
Leaving seedheads through winter is a mindful way to garden — one that respects both nature and design. It celebrates texture, movement, and the gentle passage of the seasons. Whether you’re tending a small town garden in Totnes or a larger rural plot near Dartington, allowing your plants to stand proud through the colder months brings visual interest, supports wildlife, and enriches your garden’s natural rhythm.
At Fallow & Fern Garden Design and Maintenance, we believe a beautiful garden should evolve with the seasons. So this winter, resist the urge to tidy too soon — and take a moment to celebrate the quiet beauty of seedheads.