Mother Nature's way

Have been a serious gardener for some 6 years. Like everyone, I would snip the seed pods of various plants and separate and mark them for the next year. Then I had an epiphany! How does nature save and plant seeds year after year. Easy, peasy. Let them fall where they may. I have been busy today clipping the seed heads of poppy and larkspur. I like that they bloom so early in the Spring. I let them drop right where they are and nature does the rest. Of course, I pull the stalks and take them to the compost pile. Once they are removed, I discover other plants pushing up for the next round. I want to increase the area of the poppy for next spring so I have saved a few seed heads and will drop them wherever and also share with others. In the beginning, I tried many non-native plants and in the heat of a Texas summer it was all for naught. Have switched to Texas natives and there is something blooming non-stop until the first freeze. Had collected a lot of tropical exotics and the several days we had of 16 degrees this last winter froze everything in the greenhouse. Live and learn the hard way. Personally, I much prefer seeds. If it is something I don't have yet, I haunt the seed racks and the internet. Can't wait to walk my garden every morning to see what has germinated overnight.

Sounds like your way is much more enjoyable and rewarding.
I'm developing a similar approach, I moved into a woodland area and I expend my energy removing the invasive non-natives (it is also my exercise place) and mostly letting nature takes its course. I am trying to increase diversity but I am not babying anything beyond settling in time. We also get that brutal heat and occasional cold snaps. In addition we have little helpers - a very active wildlife population that is planting various plants and trees for us.
Have fun.

Hi Karen. Have learned the hard way that this method is most successful if I stay with Texas natives. The Wildflower Center near Austin, Texas was founded by LadyBird Johnson. There is so much to learn from their website. Also Wildseed in nearby Fredericksburg grows acres and acres of wildflowers strictly to gather the seed. They began by selling to highway departments all over everywhere. The Texas Highway Department continually adds seed to the highways and byways and it has been a spectacular spring display. We all owe a lot to LadyBird. It was her influence that got the junk yards and billboards under control. Then convinced the powers that be to plant flowers and time the mowing so it would protect the seed for the next round. I have given up vegetable gardening as the bugs would get to it before I could. The soil prep we did for veggies has produced abundant flower garden.