Deadheading is less necessary towards the end of the season, and it’s a good idea to stop deadheading flowers in the fall if you want them to produce seeds. Plants like black-eyed Susan and coneflowers produce heavy seedheads that provide an important source of food for wild birds in autumn and winter. Other ornamentals, like cosmos, will readily self-sow if you don’t deadhead flowers in autumn, which is a great way to get more free plants for next year’s garden!