THE LOWDOWN ON THE BIG CLEANUP
The days are getting shorter, the nights cooler, your plants are starting to wind down and, after the effort of growing a garden all spring and summer, you’re ready to rest, too. But the sight of plants dying back and leaves falling spurs a plethora of different responses in gardeners. Do you go out for a final hurrah of tending the plants? Or do you simply sit back and let the garden put itself to bed? Is there really a method to the madness?
It’s safe to say there are many methods, backed by a variety of philosophies. So I asked several accomplished gardeners to share the details of their hows and whys of cleaning up the garden in the fall. Whether you want a habitat for wildlife, something nice and tidy, or a healthy environment for your plants to grow, you’ll probably find a gardener who aligns with your garden goals and habits.
From raking it all up to leaving it be, you’ll hear from one extreme to the other, and a little bit of everything in between—and there are good reasons for every approach. Read six widely variant responses and you can rest assured about one thing: There’s no one right way to do it. Weigh the pros and cons presented on the following pages, and find which method is best for your garden’s needs.
Prevent the possibility of pests
