Autumn is one of my favorite seasons in my garden. The cooler temperatures bring the vibrant reds, yellows, oranges and purples that unmistakably signal the end of yet another growing season.
But, I have to confess, I didn’t always enjoy fall in my southwestern Connecticut garden. Fall used to be the time that we would spend hours raking and blowing leaves, cutting back spent flowers and grasses and generally trying to make the garden neat and tidy before the winter snows arrived.
Fall Chores in a Wildlife Garden
But not anymore. As I have started planting more and more Connecticut native trees and shrubs and generally creating a habitat garden that welcomes wildlife, I have eased up on the fall garden chores.
Yes, my pre-winter garden is messy by some gardener’s standards, but it is full of seeds, berries, shelter and nesting sites for an array of wildlife.
To find about three things you should be doing (and in some cases – not doing) in your wildlife garden this fall to get it ready for winter, please visit Native Plants & Wildlife Gardens to read my latest post, Fall Clean Up in a Wildlife Garden.
What do you do in your garden to get it ready for winter wildlife?
My winter clean up is quite basic, just mulching a few new trees and perennials to safeguard their roots and taking apart the vegetable garden. The biggest chore is cleaning up my garden shed for the season so that it’s not still a mess when I get back out in spring.
Ah, the garden shed is a whole other issue…