We have made it through the humidity and heat of summer, and now our yards need some TLC!
On the agenda: Cutting back worn out perennials, pruning trees and shrubs after a good growing season, and doing something with all those leaves that will inevitably fall.
We think of fall in the yard as a time to get rid of things: cutting down, trimming back, and dumping piles of leaves in the front yard to be hauled away are the norm. Yet, there are benefits in keeping viable perennials up as late as possible and reusing the leaves on our property.
Photo Credit: Emily Carlin
From where we stand, fall cleanups look a little different. Whenever our land stewards arrive on the scene for yard maintenance, we strive to:
Keep materials on site and reuse them.
Mulch leaves back into beds, compost perennial debris, and use up branches in fire pits.
Leave perennials still standing as winter habitat for local wildlife.
Replace high-maintenance plants with more appropriate and resilient native options.
Fertilize with organic alternatives.
Get rid of invasive species, especially removing bush honeysuckle. Taking out honeysuckle when the leaves are off makes it less of a visual shock to the neighbors and is a perfect time to replace them with native shrub or tree alternatives.