Help Wildlife By Letting Your Garden Rest
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By Katelynn Dillard
Certified Mississippi
Master Naturalist
Fall is such a lovely time to be out in the garden; there are so many last-minute blooms to enjoy before the first frost hits. The other thing that often hits people is the urge to clean up dead and dying debris in the garden. But our native wildlife populations would benefit greatly if we could all resist the temptation to clear out the garden beds just yet.
Insect populations are on the decline, especially pollinators, which we as humans rely on for our fruit and vegetable production. But we can help boost populations of many species, such as native bees, overwintering caterpillars, and firefly larvae, if we simply alter some of our yard maintenance habits.
Let’s get into some specifics. One way to help your property’s pollinator population, as well as that of native birds, is to leave dead flower stalks wherever you can.
By leaving at least some stems, canes, and branches of various plants, you’re preserving the overwintering habitat of native bees, as they nest within the hollow and pithy stems of several plant species. Leaving the upright seed heads will also provide a food source for birds all winter long. You can leave the stems in the garden until they decompose or stack them somewhere else in the yard if that is more desirable.
There is nothing like a good ol’ brush pile to provide shelter for small birds. Place the pile somewhere hidden from view, at least ten feet away from any buildings. Leaving fallen leaves where you can is also ideal; not only do the leaves return vital nutrients to your yard as they decompose, but established leaf litter zones, especially under mature trees, also act as pupation sites for caterpillars and overwintering firefly larvae.
Nothing brings a smile to my face quite like seeing the soft glow of fireflies or the fluttering of butterflies in the summertime, but the only way to experience that is to preserve their habitat all year long.
