President’s Letter: Don’t Clean Up That Garden!

Lori Danielson, president of Eastside Audubon Society.

President’s Letter: Don’t Clean Up That Garden!  

By Lori Danielson

I’m taking it easy this fall, after learning that tidying up my garden before winter can be detrimental for birds and the insects they eat. During my ongoing process of learning to garden in a way that supports my avian friends, I’ve discovered that birds and their food sources both benefit from a “messy” yard. The fallen leaves, dried seed pods, sticks and dead stems produced during the spring and summer provide necessary shelter and food for native bees, beneficial insects like lady bugs, and the birds themselves during the winter. National Audubon has published an article supporting this “let it go” attitude for your garden and so has a Master Gardener with WSU’s Skagit County Extension Service. So hey, relax this season and leave your garden’s natural decay to the birds!