As you turn your thoughts toward the holidays ahead, you may be wondering if the gardening season is finally behind us. While much of the busy work may be finished, there are still a few chores to tend to before we can officially put the garden to bed for winter.
One of the last pleasures of the season is gathering the remaining flowers, but deciding what to do with the garden itself is largely a matter of personal preference. You can leave seed heads and spent flowers standing to provide food and shelter for wildlife or cut everything back to the ground. I tend to do a little of both.
There are some plants, such as hostas, that simply melt away into an unattractive blob once the frost has taken hold. Those I cut back. I like to tidy up as much as possible, and in certain sections of the garden, I even bring out the mower to help with the cleanup!
As garden writer Penelope Hobhouse points out, October, November and December are months for sweeping up and carefully removing leaves from flower beds where they might cover emerging shoots of winter- and spring-flowering plants, causing their crowns to rot.
The large magnolia leaves in our yard are a case in point. They are in desperate need of raking, but whenever I feel motivated to tackle the job, I look up and see that there are still leaves clinging to the tree. My thinking? I’ll wait until they are all down. In the meantime, the walkway is ankle-deep in magnolia leaves!
Depending on the weather, lawns may also need an occasional mowing and edging right up until Christmas.
Other worthwhile winter chores include checking and cleaning garden tools, tidying sheds, inspecting watering systems, preparing labels for seed trays and making lists of plants needed for the coming season. Before we know it, February will arrive and the gardening year will begin anew.
But does putting the garden to bed mean removing every last leaf and bit of plant material? Not necessarily.
I have always appreciated the perspective of garden writer Thalassa Cruso, who challenges the notion that a perfectly neat garden is necessarily a well-tended one.
“Impeccable neatness in a yard, without a leaf in sight and with all the natural debris of nature shredded and sent out, does not necessarily indicate good husbandry,” she writes. She goes on to suggest that such tidiness may actually demonstrate a lack of understanding of the natural processes through which the land regenerates itself year after year.
I tend to agree.
Certainly, fallen leaves can look dreadful in some areas of the garden. They can also become slippery and dangerous when left on walkways, and leaves that accumulate and pack down on a lawn can smother and eventually kill the grass. Those areas need attention.
But elsewhere, leaves are an important part of nature’s recycling system. In fact, Cruso calls leaves “friends at every season.”
Think about it: while attached to the tree or shrub, leaves play an essential role in sustaining plant life. Once they fall, they continue to serve a purpose. Rather than viewing them as a nuisance to be hauled away, we should consider the many ways they can benefit our gardens.
Cruso reminds us that leaves help filter the air, a contribution that should make us more tolerant of the temporary inconvenience they create when they fall.
So, before you start raking every leaf in sight, consider these suggestions:
-Don’t clean up quite so thoroughly. Allow nature to do some of the work.
-Leave leaves beneath shrubs and bushes where they fall, provided they don’t become excessively thick or untidy.
-Rake leaves from lawns, walkways and essential garden areas.
-Move excess leaves into shrub borders and around specimen trees and bushes.
-Alternatively, find an out-of-the-way corner of the yard where you can pile them and let nature take over. Avoid piling leaves directly against wooden walls or structures, where trapped moisture can encourage decay.
One of the simplest ways to recycle fallen leaves is to make leaf mold. All you need is a designated corner of the yard and a pile of leaves.
Simply gather the leaves, pile them up and let nature do its work. As they gradually decompose, they will transform into a wonderfully rich, dark material known as leaf mold. By spring, you may be surprised at how much progress has been made. Given time, the pile will provide a steady supply of this valuable soil conditioner.
Leaf mold can be worked into garden beds, used around shrubs, added to potting mixes and spread in other growing areas. It is an easy, inexpensive way to return organic matter to the soil and make good use of something that otherwise might have been carted away.
A little less raking and a little more recycling can go a long way toward creating a healthier garden. Sometimes the best thing we can do for our gardens is to let nature take the lead.
A community reminder: Household Hazardous Waste Day
While we’re thinking about conservation and caring for the environment, there is another opportunity this week to do our part.
Mattapoisett and Marion residents are reminded that Household Hazardous Waste Day is scheduled for Saturday, November 14, from 9:00 am until noon, at the Marion Department of Public Works, 60 Benson Brook Road, Marion. Call 508-748-3540 with questions.
A valid transfer station sticker or other proof of residency is required. Maximum load is 10 gallons or 10 pounds.
Household hazardous waste includes many everyday products that should never simply be tossed into the trash or poured down a drain. These materials can be toxic, flammable, corrosive or otherwise harmful to people and the environment.
Common examples include:
-Automotive products: Motor oil, antifreeze and car batteries.
-Paints and solvents: Oil-based paints, adhesives and glues, varnishes and paint thinners.
-Household cleaners: Oven cleaners, strong disinfectants and drain cleaners.
-Lawn and garden products: Pesticides, herbicides and pool chemicals.
Proper disposal helps protect our water, soil and public health while preventing potentially dangerous accidents.
So, as you put the garden to bed and make plans for the season ahead, consider setting aside those unwanted household products, too. It’s one more small but meaningful way to care for the place we call home.
Perhaps the secret to a healthier garden is learning when to lend nature a helping hand — and when to simply step aside and let nature do what it does best. — LM
The Seaside Gardener
By Laura McLean