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Do you cut the spent flowers off these or leave them on for the birds? When I cut them off they flower more but I don't want to cheat the birdies out of the seeds either.
If I cut them and leave in the garden for the birds I end up with way to many cone flowers the next yr!! thanks

If you don't want too many flowers, then ya gotta cut some of them, throw them away, leave some for the birds, I would guess......

I suppose if so many come back, the birds are not eating the seeds, so cut them and compost....

Yep, I'd do what Cynthia suggested. We plant flowers to enjoy their blooms so why not keep them going as long as you can.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: SSTR (Stop & Smell the Roses),

Msybe cut some when they are still blooming and bring them in the house where you can see and enjoy them more. Let leaves fewer in the flower bed to wonder about.

Or you can dead head some and leave some. It does not have to be an all or nothing.

But then I am a messy gardener and enjoy the birds as much as the blooms.

I dead head the early ones to get more blooms and then leave the later ones for the birds. The birds DID NOT do a good job last year & I must have had 200 volunteers this spring! I covered most of them up with mulch so they weren't a problem...I also transplanted a few for more flowers.

Mine dried up early this year, so I just left them for the birds. Figured with the drought, there would definitely be an absence of food sources for the feathered friends. So far the goldfinches have been visiting regularly. At this rate, I'll be able to cut down the dead stalks guilt free when fall clean up time comes.

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