What if the best thing you could do for your garden this fall was actually less work? While many homeowners spend hours raking leaves, cutting back flowers, and hauling away plant debris, wildlife experts say some of those familiar cleanup habits could be doing more harm than good.
Your garden may look like it’s shutting down for winter, but beneath those fallen leaves and dried stems, an entire ecosystem is preparing to survive the colder months. Butterflies, native bees, beneficial insects, and backyard birds all depend on resources that traditional fall cleanup often removes.
