Aster lateriflorus (shown here with a sugar maple leaf) is a little untidy in Fall, but loved by short-tongued bees.
“Slovenliness is no part of Religion. Cleanliness is indeed close to Godliness,” wrote John Wesley in 1791. Wesley might have known a thing or two about Religion, but he clearly was no wildlife gardener.
Indeed, the pursuit of order and extreme tidiness in gardens is one of the primary factors contributing to a lack of wildlife in modern residential landscapes.
The mowing of grasses, the pruning of perennials, the raking of leaves, and replacement of mulches are all common but deadly gardening practices. For birds, butterflies, bees, and other animals these “clean up” activities quite literally mean death.
Black gum is great for Fall color and for wildlife habitat.
Fall is a time when gardeners seem to start feeling antsy, and start looking for something to do. One of the best things you can do in your garden in October and November is nothing: let it be, and enjoy watching it. Underneath those leaves are millions of little decomposing insects working hard to carry organic matter into your soil. Inside the stems of those perennials are dozens of species of caterpillars finding shelter from Winter’s drying winds. Grad a latte, sit, and watch.
If you must do something, then plant more trees and shrubs. While research shows that one of the worst things you can to to a wildlife garden is “tidy it up”, we also knows that one of the best things you can do to encourage wildlife in your garden is to offer a wide variety of woody plants of varying heights and a wide diversity of habitat types (e.g. compost heaps, log piles, leaf litter, long grasses).
And when you are looking for trees and flowers to plant, don’t exclude ones that unsay gardeners consider to be “messy.”
For example, the Unviversity of Tennessee agricultural extension service published a brochure called “Trees to Reconsider Before Planting“. It contains the following gem:
“As they mature, many trees produce seeds and fruits that may be a nuisance to homeowners. Nuts from hickories and walnut, acorns from oaks, sweetgum and sycamore balls are a few of the antagonists. Fleshy fruits from trees such as cherry and crabapple can also be messy and bothersome.”
Of course we know that it is precisely these “antagonists” which are some of the very best plants for wildlife.
Even trees that aren’t considered “messy” in the traditional sense (if they are considered at all) are excellent if untidy trees. Black gum (Nyssa sylvatica) is a beautiful shade tree, especially in fall when the leaves turn gloriously purple and scarlet. It’s branches, though, sometimes die young leaving decaying openings and a hollow trunk: perfect nesting spots for bees, owls, raccoons, and many other species.
The bottom line is this: when it comes to wildlife gardening, neat is often the enemy of good. A successful garden need not be out of control, but inviting a little of the unexpected will pay great dividends.
© 2012, Vincent Vizachero. All rights reserved. This article is the property of Native Plants and Wildlife Gardens. If you are reading this at another site, please report that to us
About Vincent Vizachero
Thanks, Vincent, for this timely reminder about knowing what is really important in a garden. And how crazy it is to put deceased plants that have been gathering nutrients all season, stuff them in a plastic bag, send them to a dump, and then replace with mulch containing who knows what from another plastic bag.
Here’s to spreading the understanding of what is going on under those fallen leaves!
Sue Dingwell recently posted..The Power of WE, as in WEtland
Perfect piece to remind folks of the importance of letting nature “do her thing.” Really enjoyed it!
Gaia gardener recently posted..Samsara, A Visual Feast
Vincent, This is a great reminder to just sit back and enjoy autumn in the garden. I have one of those ‘messy’ hickories and have been enjoying watching the squirrels dart around the garden moving one nut at a time to a safe hiding spot.
Debbie Roberts recently posted..Wildlife Gardener: Lessons Learned
I was glad to read this. Even as a young boy I used to wonder why people would rake away all their leaves just to add yards and yards of painted mulch. i would think, ” hey the forest seems to do just fine letting her leaves compost where they are”
The only instance that I would disagree with you on is in the case of a specimen tree that is fighting of a reoccurring blight of fungal infection. I believe that a few years of good hygiene and the introduction of beneficial microorganisms into the soil can help to fend off the lose of an otherwise valuable tree. Parasitic pathogens do exist, even in the most naturally diverse landscape. From time to time these pathogens must be dealt with.
Maybe that’s why gardening with native plants appeals to me so much. I am not a neat and tidy gardener. I will admit to not liking the two walnut trees that are in the area across the street where I’m trying to grow vegetables. I’ve learned that one shouldn’t plant vegetables within a certain distance from walnut trees. I do have several sizes of piles of things over there, and let pokeweed and other weeds grow for whatever critters make use of them.
Corner Garden Sue recently posted..October’s Wildflowers
VIncent, beautifully said! Thank you. Reinforces the concept that NATURE knows best and how important it is to open our eyes and see what is happening in a natural area and try to mimic that in our wildlife gardens.
Pat Sutton recently posted..Hibernaculum: Winter Home to Red-spotted Purple
Well doneo and Sage advice.
All those past years I thought I was just a lazy gardener. Here I was being a mini- Mom Nature!
Loret recently posted..Caterpillar Tartare?
I have grown to love my messy wildlife garden along with the wildlife…what a perfect way to garden…let it be as much as possible…lowest maintenance I know.
Donna@Gardens Eye View recently posted..Simply The Best-October