Fall cleanup doesn’t have to mean cutting every perennial to the ground or removing every dried flower from the garden. In fact, leaving some plants standing through winter can be beneficial for wildlife and add interest to the landscape during a time when there isn’t much growing.
A garden that looks a little less “clean” in late fall can still be a healthy, intentional garden.
A Food Source for Birds
Once flowers fade, many perennials continue to serve a purpose. Their seed heads become a natural food source for birds throughout fall and winter.
Coneflowers and Black-Eyed Susans are two great examples. Goldfinches and other seed-eating birds will visit the dried flower heads looking for a meal. Native plants such as asters, goldenrod and Joe Pye weed can also continue providing seeds after their blooms are gone.
Instead of deadheading everything at the end of the season, consider leaving some of those seed heads in place.
Give Wildlife a Place to Spend the Winter
Standing plants aren’t just a food source. Stems, leaves and grasses can provide valuable habitat for insects and other small wildlife.
Many beneficial insects spend the winter tucked inside hollow plant stems, beneath leaves or among plant debris. Cutting everything down and removing it from the garden in fall can also remove some of these overwintering spaces.
Ornamental and native grasses are especially useful. Their dense foliage provides cover while their seed heads can feed birds throughout the colder months.
Keep Some Winter Interest
There’s also a benefit for us: the garden doesn’t have to look empty all winter.
Dried hydrangea blooms, ornamental grasses, sedum flower heads and sturdy perennial stems add shape and texture to the landscape. Frost and snow can make these plants even more noticeable.
Leaving a few strong architectural plants standing can make a big difference in how the garden looks from late fall through early spring.
Be Careful With Fall Pruning
Not every shrub should be pruned simply because the growing season is ending. Hydrangeas are a good example.
Some hydrangeas bloom on old wood, meaning their flower buds for next year are already developing on stems from this season. Cutting those stems back at the wrong time can mean accidentally removing next year’s flowers.
If you’re unsure whether a shrub needs to be pruned in fall, it’s often better to wait until you know what type of plant you have and when it should be pruned.
What Should You Cut Back?
Leaving plants standing doesn’t mean ignoring the garden completely.
Plants showing signs of disease are generally better cleaned up rather than left in place. Damaged material can also be removed, along with anything that has collapsed into walkways or become a problem.
For healthy perennials, though, there’s often no rush. Many can stay standing through winter and be cut back in late winter or early spring before new growth begins.
A Different Way to Think About Fall Cleanup
A perfectly clean garden isn’t necessarily a healthier garden.
Leaving seed heads, stems, grasses and dried flowers gives birds and beneficial insects more to work with while giving your landscape some character through winter.
So as you head outside for fall cleanup, take a look around before reaching for the pruners. Some plants are better left right where they are.
@whiteoakgardens