There is so much to say on this topic but the best advice I heard a few years ago was, when cutting back perennials and other stems in the fall, to cut them at approximately 6” lengths and let the stems collect in a pile above the roots for overwintering bugs etc. This was from the gardener in charge of Brooklyn Bridge Park. It’s tidy but friendly, and super easy.
Sent from my iPhone > On Nov 1, 2023, at 9:47 PM, Susan Winship <susanwins...@comcast.net> wrote: > > > We have developed a bad landscaping habit, the fall cleanup. We rake, or > worse, blow the leaves. We cut back the stems on our perennials and put > everything in yard waste bags to be carted away. In doing so, we kill our > pollinators, their eggs, and other critters that overwinter in the leaf > litter, > interrupt the natural soil building process, remove insulation for plants, > and create unnecessary (and often noisy) work for ourselves. How do we > break a habit we have been doing for generations, a habit that gives us a > feeling of accomplishment, one that marks a rite of passage for autumn? We > make a decision to prioritize the creatures other than ourselves, and start > a better habit. We no longer do a fall cleanup; we do a fall neatening. > > *Instructions:* > > ? 1. Leave the leaves. > ? 2. Don?t want leaves or sticks on the lawn? Rake them into a brush pile. > ? 3. Rake leaves into the bed, not out. > ? 4. Leave the stems and seed heads of your dead plants so our native bees > ? can lay their eggs in them, and so birds can eat the seeds. > ? 5. Check for cocoons and chrysalises on outdoor pots. Leave planters > ? outside and create winter arrangements. > ? 6. Leave expired plants on site instead of composting. Tuck them under a > ? shrub or put them in a brush pile. This protects insects and their > ? overwintering eggs. > ? 7. Sweep the driveway, the walkways, the sidewalks. Aside from trash, > ? put it back into the garden. > ? 8. Use sticks and branches to make artwork, borders, or retaining walls > ? for slopes. > ? 9. Clean your tools and put your gardening equipment away. > ? 10. Adjust your aesthetic and embrace a wilder look. > ? 11. Enjoy a cup of apple cider and know that by doing less, you are > ? doing more. > > > > South Sudanese Enrichment for Families > Susan Winship,LICSW > PO Box 492 > Lincoln,MA 01773 > 781-424-8774 > > -- > The LincolnTalk mailing list. > To post, send mail to Lincoln@lincolntalk.org. > Browse the archives at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/. > Change your subscription settings at > https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln. >
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