As we enter winter, the last of the fall clean up season has commenced.  For the past few months, neighbors have been scrambling to blow leaves and get them out of their yard.  The constant loud hum of gas-powered blowers echoes through the neighborhood and it’s been quite a disturbance.  Did you know that using a gas-powered blower for one hour emits more pollution than driving a car 1,000 miles?  Not only are they terribly noisy, but they also emit all kinds of toxins into the air.  Unfortunately, this annoyance and potential health risk is only one part of the issue.  Hundreds of creatures that are essential to the ecosystem use leaf litter during the late fall and winter months and by eliminating the leaves, you are eradicating the environment for these organisms to survive.  Leaves also provide organic matter which builds soil health and helps with erosion.   Social pressure and outdated gardening practices have pushed people into the huge drive to have to tidy up the garden and yard and the end of the season.  By raking, mowing and blowing away the leaves which nature provides for a reason, we are destroying the population of essential moths, butterflies, snails, spiders and arthropods.  If you must clean up your yard, it is best to rake leaves into a pile at the edge of the yard and not shred the leaves up.  Shredded leaves do not provide the same cover as leaving them whole, and eggs may be destroyed along with butterflies , caterpillars, and chrysalis.  Consider creating a leaf pile and allow it to break down naturally. These efforts will keep creatures safe and allow you to benefit from the rich garden gift that falls from the trees above.  This natural life cycle happens for a reason and leaves are not litter.  They are essential to a healthy ecosystem!

Our primary residence is in an HOA development, and we have 5 very large mature oaks in the back amongst many beech and maples.  We typically have 4-6 inches of leaves on the ground in our back yard each fall which are on top of 1-2 inches of acorns!  To most, this would be a complete nightmare.  To us, we are so happy to have native keystone trees that are doing amazing things in our environment.  I do move the leaves from the front yard and place them in a pile within the perimeter of our back yard fence.  By early summer, the massive leaf pile will be broken down and will provide incredible compost.  They don’t blow around since they are in a lower corner of the yard and it’s been a great process for us.

In our garden and flower beds, we have many dried flower stalks and flower heads.  They are a bit unsightly to the average person but to us, they are an incredible food source and shelter for winter.   Birds have been feeding off the seed heads for over a month and the bird population in our yard has increased. Additionally, stalks are used by bees and other insects as winter homes.  It may look to ugly to the outsider, but to us, they are beautiful as they support a thriving ecosystem.

Be an advocate for your local ecosystem. You can make a difference even in your own yard.  By following better practices, we have seen our bee and bird populations grow by leaps and bounds over the past 5 years.   As we eliminate more lawn an add more pollinator areas, we will continue to have a positive impact on our world.