Spring and Fall Clean-up

Spring and Fall Clean-up

On this page, you can find links to our past posts about how to approach spring and fall clean-up in an eco-sensitive way. The main principle is to keep as much as you can and do as little as possible in your garden when doing standard maintenance.  Why? Following this principle ensures biodiversity. 

Fall Clean-up (reading this article helps you understand why to adjust clean-up practices): What’s in a Leaf Pile, or Why Not to Do Fall Clean-up and Putting the Garden to Bed Wild Ones Style. This post celebrates the colors of the fall and winter garden: Sprezzatura in the Fall Garden.

Winter: Quick Tips to Tidy the Habitat Garden

Spring: Rethinking Spring Clean-up

Summer: Two Simple, Easy, and Natural Steps for Summer Habitat Maintenance

A great example of how helpful it can be to follow an eco-sensitive clean up program is the problem of aphids. Everyone seems to get aphids, and one of the best defenses is beneficial insects. There is no need to purchase them. Follow the habitat garden maintenance practices, and the aphids should be kept in check (there are always exceptions…). Read this article to learn about just some of their predators, most of which overwinter in the garden. Aphids: What to Do?

Photo: Linda Walker Tiger Swallowtails overwinter in their chrysalises.
Photo: Linda Walker Tiger Swallowtails overwinter in their chrysalises.