Don't be too tidy

[PhilFreeToAsk]

Being too tidy in the garden is not always a great idea. I don't cut my perennials down over winter and I was rewarded with a flock of goldfinches.

[SenateurDupont]

I do to... but not because I'm not tidy... because I'm lazy. During fall, everything stays there, the dried perrinial, the leafs etc. The thing is, I've always asked myself why should I do this job twice a year? I do it only in spring and it's marvelous. In spring, the vast majority of the leaves in my garden are blown away everywhere in the neigboorhood... and in spring as soon as the snow is melted, I take them off, all clogged together, and I cut the dry stems everywhere, I verify if the perrinials are still alive.

[PhilFreeToAsk in reply to SenateurDupont]

The perennial is Rudbeckia Fulgida "Goldsturm", which is a North American prairie plant. In the UK is awarded the RHS AGM (award of garden merit), a plant that I highly recommend for flower colour, attracting wildlife and of course seed heads for the winter.

[SenateurDupont in reply to PhilFreeToAsk]

I loooove rudbeckias! Echinacea will also leave seed heads in the winter.

[Hidden]

Hey what a fantastic photo Phil, they look well happy. 😊

[Jints1]

Fabulous advice. Last year i was rewarded with a hedgehog nest and got to help feed the wee ones over the summer period and watch them grow until they were big enough to leave. I dont cut back until well into spring and if something is nesting i leave the area undisturbed not always pretty but usually interesting x

[PhilFreeToAsk in reply to Jints1]

You have been rewarded by giving nature that opportunty to find your sacred space. I have ivy growing up my fence. In late autumn, the ivy is buzzing with bees on the late flowers. If I need to trim the ivy it will be around December so as not to disturb any possible nesting birds for the following year.

Hoping to be given a rescued hedgehog for my garden. I know my garden is good enough as I garden oganically so I only use natural controls, never ever used poisonous slug pellets.

[adhdnaturally]

How wonderful. I’ve tried to entice them with nigella seeds. Maybe I’ll plant some rudbeckia too.