Fallen leaves are habitat, not trash. One of the most valuable things you can do to support pollinators and other wildlife is to provide them with the shelter they need over the winter. Here’s the good news: all you need to do is do less yard work!
A layer of leaves is vital insulation from the cold for animals that hide within it or in the soil beneath, like many butterflies. Others, like native bees, nest within stems, flower heads, or pieces of wood. If you throw these out, there’s a good chance you’re tossing out many animals that have already settled in. Instead, try a thoughtful autumn cleanup that protects wildlife and fosters biodiversity.
Leaves also create a natural mulch that helps suppress weeds and retain moisture while fertilizing the soil as it decomposes. While a thin layer of leaves is healthy for grass, the leaves don’t need to be left exactly where they fall. You can rake them into garden beds, around trees and perennials, or into other designated areas. Make a compost pile and turn them into mulch: leaves are great for soil quality.
Tips
Most butterflies and moths in various stages overwinter using leaf litter for winter cover. Shredded leaves will not provide the same cover as whole ones, and mowing may destroy creatures along with the leaves. Instead of a mower, use a rake.
Plenty of insects seek out fallen pieces of wood to hibernate in. Make a brush pile – large or small – behind a hedge or some perennials.
Approximately 70 percent of all bee species nest in the ground. Limit any autumn digging and keep it shallow.
Many insects like bees overwinter inside hollow flower stems. Let those remain through the winter. The seed heads will also feed a variety of birds, and the stems will provide shelter for many nesting insects. Cut them down to 18-24 inches tall in late spring.
Ideally, we would leave the leaves permanently in place. However, if you must remove them next season, wait until late in the spring when the temperatures go above 10 degrees.
Nature is not ‘neat’
It’s okay to leave the garden or yard a little messy and wild. When you think of what your garden wildlife needs, visualize natural areas: they are not “neat,” grasses grow long, seed heads persist, and seeds fall and germinate.
There can be a lot of social pressure to tidy up the garden at the end of the season. Neighbours might have a few questions! But change begins with awareness and knowledge.
Your yard is playing a role in the ecosystem all year round. By simply doing fewer garden chores in autumn, your community will reap the rewards of abundant pollination, natural “pest” control, and food for visiting birds and wildlife next spring.