Fall Cleanup for Habitat Gardeners

As the rich colorful hues of summer age to the browns and beige of winter, it can be tempting to cut back the perennials and rake up all the leaves in an effort to achieve a more aesthetically pleasing garden. However, doing so haphazardly can have negative effects on the habitat our gardens create, their visual appeal, and even on plant health.

Seedheads of spent flowers provide a food source for songbirds, and the hollow stems of many plants provide habitat for overwintering solitary pollinating insects. Leaf litter provides a blanket for detritivores and plant roots, and fluffy seeds make excellent insulation for nesting animals. Our local ecology has evolved over thousands of years to utilize our habitat in fall without it being cut back to stubble by well-intentioned gardeners.

Fallen leaves are habitat for insects and act as mulch to supress winter weeds and protect plant roots.

The architectural forms and subtle colors of many ‘spent’ perennials add interest to our landscape and reflect the reserved mood of fall and winter. For example, the nearly black, upright seedheads of purple coneflower provide great contrast to light stems of Russian Sage. Persistent grasses add height and movement, even if their foliage fades to brown. The spherical flowerheads of alliums are left floating above the long-gone foliage.

Pruning at the beginning of the dormant season can be detrimental to the health of many plants as well. Particularly in woody plants, pruning can stimulate plants to break dormancy, which leads to dieback when the cold winds of winter strike. Pruning wounds can also be sites for bacterial and fungal infection in our wet, winter-rainfall climate. Seedheads and old foliage can have an insulative effect on the buds and soil below them, reducing winter damage compared to a completely “clean” garden.

There are instances, however, where cutting back and tidying up in fall is helpful for gardeners. For instance, pruning back shrubs with rank growth can mitigate wind damage, and deadheading aggressive plants can prevent them from seeding into every available nook of your yard. If you must cut back perennials, consider the “chop and drop” method to insulate plant roots and to retain nesting materials in your landscape. Inserting some cues of care into the winter landscape, such as edging your lawn, sweeping a pathway, or cleaning up fallen branches can mitigate the unkempt look that is offputting to some.