The idea of letting the plants in your garden go to seed has long been taboo. The phrase "to go to seed" is even used to describe when something gets worse in condition or quality.

Many gardeners employ a practice known as deadheading, or removing flowers once they start to fade. Margaret Oakley Otto, writing for the home design site Houzz, says this process allows the plant to concentrate energy on other buds and flowers, thus prolonging the blooming period. It also removes the parts of the plant that have turned yellow or brown, helping to make it look more appealing and vibrant.

Gardeners also seek to harvest crops before they bolt, or produce a flower stalk. Marie Iannotti, writing for the home design site The Spruce, says people will often tear out a plant once it has bolted and replace it with something else, since the opportunity to harvest has passed.

Gardeners usually take steps to prune or cut down plants before they start producing seeds. They may consider that the plant no longer has an attractive appearance, or that it's past its useful period of producing fruit or flowers. But it can also be beneficial to allow at least some of your plants to go to seed.

Several plants will self-seed if you let them, dropping seeds which will germinate and grow in the next season. Some examples of self-seeding plants include calendula, carrots, cilantro, delphiniums, fennel, lettuce, nasturtiums, radishes, spinach, and sunflowers. Judy Scott, writing for the Oregon State University Extension, says this can be a particularly useful way to bring annual flowers each year without having to replant them every season.

You'll want to try to keep an eye on the garden plot to make sure there aren't any problems involved in the self-seeding, however. Iannotti says the seeds may be dropped too close together, in which case you'll want to thin them out in the spring.

One way to avoid this issue is to collect and store the seeds until they are ready to plant in the spring. Monitor the seeds on the plant to determine when they are dry and ready to fall. You can then lop off the seed pod or flower to collect the seeds.

Ideally, your plants will be isolated enough that you are only collecting seeds for an individual variety. The Tilth Alliance, a Seattle gardening organization, says plants in the same family can cross-breed to form hybrids, which may not grow well.

Once you have collected the seed, keep it stored until you are ready to plant it. Iannotti says you should first make sure any moisture has been removed, since wet seeds can rot in storage. You should also remove as much chaff as possible from each seed. Keep seeds together in labeled envelopes, and store them in a cool, dark place with low humidity.

Plants can be sown as usual in containers or the garden at the recommended time. Otto says wildflower seeds can be mixed with soil and compost to form a small ball. These "seed bombs" make great gifts and can be planted by simply tossing them into your garden; the ball will eventually break down and provide the seeds a medium in which to grow.

Some seeds are edible. The Sustainable Food Center, a local food organization in Austin, Texas, says dry harvested seeds such as coriander, dill, and mustard are good for adding spice to your food. Pumpkin and sunflower seeds have long been a favorite choice for snacks.

Birds will also dine on seeds if they are left out. Letting plants bolt will produce flowers that attract pollinators such as bees and butterflies before they go to seed. The National Wildlife Federation says some beneficial insects and arachnids will also use stems and other debris from plants that have gone to seed to create homes to survive the winter.

Despite having a reputation for ugliness, some plants produce seed pods which are quite beautiful. Otto says seed stalks can even be used for autumn decorations on your front door or elsewhere around the home. The National Wildlife Federation says plants such as orange coneflowers, switchgrass, and yarrow will look particularly nice in the off season.