Think fall means it's time to tidy up your garden? Think again.
Many gardeners are discovering that a little mess can create a winter wonderland for local wildlife and save time and money on yard maintenance.
The scoop
Gardening expert Chris Chung (@fluent.garden) took to Instagram to share why letting your garden get a bit untidy this fall could be the best thing for your backyard ecosystem.
The approach is surprisingly simple: Instead of clearing everything out, leave fallen leaves as natural mulch and keep plant stems standing a few inches tall. Those hollow stems become cozy homes for beneficial insects, while the leaf layer acts as a protective blanket for your soil and its tiny inhabitants.
"Even though colors have faded, leaving seed heads up gives your garden some neat textures in the winter, and plants like coneflowers and anise hyssop provide valuable food for birds during the colder months," Chung explains in her video.
How it's helping
First off, this low-maintenance approach saves both time and money. No more back-breaking hours spent clearing every last leaf, and you can skip buying expensive mulch since nature provides it for free.
But the benefits go beyond your wallet. Your garden becomes a vital refuge for local birds, who feast on seed heads from flowers like coneflowers. Beneficial insects like native bees and ladybugs use the hollow stems as shelter, while fallen leaves protect your soil from erosion and naturally enrich it for spring.
This natural approach also reduces waste in landfills, where yard waste can produce harmful gases, breaking down without proper oxygen flow.
What everyone's saying
Gardeners are embracing this easier, wildlife-friendly approach enthusiastically.
🗣️ What's the hardest thing about taking care of your yard?
🔘 Mowing the lawn 🏡
🔘 Controlling weeds 🌿
🔘 Keeping pests at bay 🐿️
🔘 I don't have a yard 🤷
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
"It feels like every year, we lazy gardeners are vindicated again!" one commenter celebrated.
Others are already seeing the rewards: "I left a lot of stems last year which resulted in a boom of ladybugs this year!"
"In the fall, I just clean up disease and any weeds or seeds I don't want to have spread. Everything else waits until spring when temps are above 10°C," shared another gardener. "I've been seeing more and more butterflies, native bees, ladybugs and hoverflies."
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