by Maggie LaCalli
Care for the garden and care for the birds go hand-in-hand, and it’s easy to see the signs in the busy heat of spring and summer: feeders hanging on porches full of suet and seeds, hummingbirds visiting fragrant flowers in full bloom, and hatched fledglings fluffing their new wings beneath sunny skies. But, as November settles in and winter approaches, it can be easy to miss signs of life as the weather turns. Time spent nurturing transforms into time spent deadheading flowers, raking leaves, and generally pruning the remnants of summer’s bounty. But a lack of action now can actually set up your yard to be a haven for wildlife as the season changes.
So, what should you do as winter seeps in? Nothing. No, really.
In direct contrast with the never-ending work that spring and summer brings—all that composting, fertilizing, digging, planting, and keeping feeders and birdbaths clean and full, the season where autumn freezes into winter is a time for rest. Leave a layer of leaves and other yard debris where they lay, and you provide a shelter for overwintering insects and a place for backyard birds like wrens and juncos to forage and roost. This leaf layer also smothers weeds, encouraging the growth of native plants in the spring which will only attract more local birds. Additionally, keep the perennials standing tall rather than pruning them down—you will give your backyard birds a place to hide and perch when they would typically stand in stark relief against the bare branches of winter. Even dead native flower heads should be left on their stems, providing seeds for hungry birds through the winter.
Caring for the birds that make up our local landscape is a labor of love, but the payoff is astronomical. And what an easy way for us to lend a wing! I know that I love an excuse not to rake. So, as the cold sweeps in and the rains seem never-ending, remember that you’re not being lazy—garden detritus is for the birds!
Dark-eyed Junco (Mick Thompson)