The Winter Garden
With such a warm and snow-free winter here in southern New Jersey, this year I fielded the same question from many new wildlife gardeners through January and February – when is it safe to clean up the winter garden?
Many of us leave our wildlife gardens standing through the winter to provide crucial cover and food to birds (in the way of seeds and overwintering insects) during a stressful time of year. Our still-standing winter gardens also shelter many of next year’s insects (butterflies, moths, spiders, preying mantises, and more) as overwintering eggs, caterpillars, or chrysalises.
I dared to clean up my winter garden during a 60 degree stretch of days in late February, earlier by a month than most recent years. The decision was made for me; plants were breaking ground possibly a full month ahead of their normal schedule. Cleanup went quickly, taking only three days, compared to doing it later in spring when so many perennials are bursting with growth, making it hard to take a step without crushing them.
Spring cleaning in the winter wildlife garden is fairly minimal and does not require a fleet of tools. Kneeling pad, garden gloves, wheelbarrow, clippers, and occasionally a shovel are all you need. Stems are broken off at the base of perennials. Any that won’t bend and break are clipped at the base.
Wild Columbine emerging in early spring, protected by leaf litter
Care is taken not to disturb the soil, otherwise a world of weeds will appear as if by magic. Raking fallen leaves out of the garden is not necessary, since these leaves are already breaking down into nourishing soil and protecting perennial roots from any late freeze. The shovel is used for the occasional squirrel-planted tree (Walnuts most commonly in our garden).
Spring cleaning, if done with wildlife in mind, is a slow process. On hands and knees each section is tackled slowly enough to spot garden treasures (overwintering chrysalises on stems, partially grown caterpillars in curled up leaves, microscopic eggs on plant material). Many treasures were found along the way: several spider egg sacks (one intact and one that had been discovered by hungry birds and emptied sometime over the winter), Carolina Mantid egg cases, and plant stems that were nibbled to the core (proof that the garden’s dormant insects aided wintering birds).
Garden Treasures
Garden Spider egg case (emptied out by hungry birds over the winter)
Garden Spider, full size in late summer
Garden Spider egg case, laid in late fall
This plant stem housed overwintering insects, survival food for hungry birds
Carolina Mantis egg case, laid in late fall
Winter garden stems and seed heads are scattered in our woods
Tackling spring cleanup with a rake would not be as intimate and these treasures could all-too-easily be destroyed in the process.
We scatter each wheelbarrow load of plant stems and seed heads loosely in our informal woodland garden where there is plenty of room. If, instead, we were to pile everything in one spot, load after load on top of the last, the chance of survival by unseen chrysalises, caterpillars, and eggs on plant material would be pretty bleak indeed.
Looking out on this now-tamed wildlife garden I can hardly wait for the growing season to unfold. I am eager to share the garden and all its visitors with another gang of potential wildlife gardeners. Join me for one of the nine “2012 Tours of Private Wildlife Gardens” that I’ll be leading this July, August, and September. Think about getting your own garden on a tour to help hook a few more wildlife gardeners.
After spring cleanup
Full Summer Garden
Fall Garden
Winter Garden
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Now that is a wonderful way to spring clean the garden. Your pictures show how the seasons change in a habitat garden and some of the wonder contained there. I would so love to see this become the more common garden in our society.
Gloria recently posted..Winter in a our back garden
Gloria, thanks ! Yes, it brings us great joy (so full of mystery and the natural world unfolding) . . . maybe that’s how we’ll succeed in bringing more wildlife gardeners on board.
Pat Sutton recently posted..2012 Wildlife Garden TOURS
Pat these are great reminders…the earthworms and ants were not too happy to have the leaf mulch taken off the veg beds.
Donna@Gardens Eye View recently posted..Hello Yellow in My Garden
Thanks, Donna.
Pat Sutton recently posted..2012 Wildlife Garden TOURS
LOVED this post as I am new to gardening and am doing it for wildlife…
Ramblingwoods, WELCOME to the world of wildlife gardening. May it dazzle & delight you!
Pat Sutton recently posted..2012 Wildlife Garden TOURS
Thank you so much for this post; it was just in time. I read it this morning, then went outdoors to clean up my garden. Mid-morning, I went to move some trash (old edging), and I thought about your post. I moved it carefully and found a snail, a spider, and some cocoons.
Neita recently posted..Spring Has Exploded!
Neita, so glad it was helpful and congratulations on your very exciting “finds!” Enjoy your garden.
Pat Sutton recently posted..2012 Wildlife Garden TOURS
We always cleanup right after winter and we really find it hard to make our garden as colorful as yours. Now I know what to do. Thank you so much for sharing this. Great photos by the way!
Hi Lindsay, “Native Plants and Wildlife Gardens” is full of super ideas about lovely natives to tuck into the garden. One tip that’s helped me and our garden immensely is to plant in masses, not one of this and one of that. The massed plantings add a real “WOW” to the garden, plus act as blinking “Welcome” signs to wildlife. Enjoy your garden.
Pat Sutton recently posted..2012 Wildlife Garden TOURS
Hi, Pat!
I, too, wait til spring to do garden clean up, but I’m never sure how long to wait so that I don’t kill overwintering or yet-to-be-hatched beneficial insects. What is your formula for figuring out when to do cleanup? (ie; a specific number of days above a certain temperature,etc.) I used to wait til mid April in my central PA garden, but with the summer-like weather we’ve been having, it’s been hard to wait.
Thanks!
Hi Janice, Normally I wait much later, but this year was so warm, so early, for so many days … and the perennials were coming up (which was telling me it was time!). So I tackled the spring clean up in late February (a full month before I normally do it). By loosely laying the stems and seed heads (that I cut back) in loose piles in our woods, I’m pretty confident that overwintering insects have a good chance of surviving. So, if you too are experiencing this warm, warm, warm later winter / early spring, I think it’s time for you too in central PA to clean up your garden.
Happy gardening,
Pat
Pat Sutton recently posted..2012 Wildlife Garden TOURS
I’m so glad that this is becoming more and more usual – how many years ago was it that we all burned our ‘trash’ out of the garden – I quit that silly ritual right after I found a chrysalis, and ever since, I’ve been astonished at the sheer number and varieties of gorgeous butterflies in June through August. It didn’t hurt that by complete accident, I cut back all the ‘dead’ willows, and was surprised by the great surge of new growth from the roots. That was a few years ago now, but I credit the lush new growth with the population boom in caterpillars. It’s so important to have host plants for the caterpillars as well as nectar plants for the adults. I love your idea of having a wildlife garden tour. I’m on it!
Drought Smart Plants – thanks for your comments! Neat that you have caterpillars galore in your habitat. Sounds like the perfect yard to have on a “tour of wildlife gardens.”
Pat Sutton recently posted..2012 Wildlife Garden TOURS