Autumn is for the ‘Lazy Gardeners’
Want to see more pollinators in your garden next Spring & Summer? Become a ‘Lazy Gardener’ ~ read on to see how!
In Autumn, those of us with native gardens are not busy ‘cleaning’ our gardens.
We don’t mow, rake leaves, or cut our plants back for overwintering.
Heck, we might not even be adding bark mulch to pathways in the Autumn!
Since we are not engaged in all the ‘mainstream’ gardening hustle we may even be called ‘lazy gardeners’ from friends and neighbors.
We leave our native plants as nature intended~ unpruned of their Summer finery.
Of course we check for diseases ect. But for the most part we leave the native plants to their own devices of turning into brown twigs, leaves and whatever else Mother Nature decrees.
This ‘lazy gardener practice’ gives us beautiful Winter landscapes to enjoy gazing at from in our warm home with a cuppa cocoa.
Most important is what this ‘lazy gardening does for pollinators and wildlife who visit our gardens.
Letting Mother Nature put the garden to bed provides our insect friends places to overwinter and protection for their eggs. Our native plants like Winterberry and Asters become crucial shelter and food sources for birds and other animals during the cold days of Winter.
‘Letting our garden go’ means we have more time to enjoy the splendors of Autumn even more!
Photo Credit Pollinator Friendly Yards
Instead of running around mowing, spraying and leaf blowing, as steward of a native garden you can be found:
Sitting in your native garden sipping hot cider, reading books and bird watching.
Leisurely tucking new native plants into your native garden beds.
Taking new routes through the garden to discover new perspectives.
Attending local native plant sales & meeting with your pals.
Meandering through your gardens with a sketchbook, trying your best to map where you put all your native plants so you don’t mistake them for weeds next Spring!
Here at Lazy Dirt Flower Farm we are enjoying our first Autumn season of full on native gardening.
We’ve been getting our plants ready for overwintering in pots for the first time. There’s lots of learning going on as we decide how best to care for over 100 potted native perennials through their first Oswego County Winter. They need water and protection from the cold winds and heavy lake effect snows.
Plus small creatures like mice and voles like to enjoy their roots as a little snack. Covering them with straw and fabric would seem a good practice. However, that is only a larger invitation to the small creatures setting up Winter homes in the ‘snack bar’! So~ we’re still exploring the options for getting them through their first Winter.
AND like you we also started our Autumn planting!
So far Columbine, Phlox, Echinacea, Showy Penstemon and Ninebark are happily tucked into the garden.
So if you visit our native flower farm in September~
You’ll find us either
carrying logs & twigs to the front yard…
OR playing in the dirt planting in our own garden….
OR we’ll be at the potting bench getting plants ready for Winter…
AND if you are lucky we’ll be procrastinating by gazing at the plants while sipping mugs of hot cider…
and of course you’ll be invited to join us for a cuppa!
As Summer turns into Autumn, how are you enjoying your native garden?
Tell us your Autumn garden adventure in the comments below!
