Many of us have a habit of keeping things neat not only in our homes but also in our outdoor spaces. We mow, edge, prune, weed and constantly exercise control over the things surrounding us. We like to be in charge.
It’s easy to get carried away and tidy everything up at the end of autumn, but leaving our ornamental borders to die down naturally is much more beneficial. Except for saving ourselves a lot of work, keeping the seed heads over winter will not only give us a bit of interest, but it will provide food for birds and invaluable shelter for a wide range of insects. It can also protect the crowns of plants against severe weather damage, not to mention how magical grasses and seed heads can look covered in the morning frost.
So let’s not put our gardens to bed but instead let them drift off to sleep gently at their own pace. And we can be ready with the rakes and secateurs in spring when nature decides it’s time for the garden to be reborn.
