Discard your autumn debris: Discover the reasons why maintaining a tidy garden of leaves is optional
In the heart of our gardens, a seemingly ordinary layer holds immense ecological importance - the topsoil where leaf litter breaks down into humus, often referred to as the 'duff layer'. This layer is a critical habitat for various animals and plants, and its preservation is pivotal for fostering biodiversity.
The 'leave the leaves' movement, popular in the USA, encourages gardeners to let autumn leaves rest in their gardens. As they decompose, they provide insulation and moisture to the soil, creating the soil that trees prefer. This practice is not only beneficial for trees but also for the wide array of creatures that call our gardens home.
Mulch, a common element in garden aesthetics, plays a significant role in this endeavour. Piet Oudolf, a renowned designer, has noted that Americans tend to display mulch in their gardens. Using organic mulch helps maintain soil moisture and temperature, facilitating a stable environment for microorganisms that underpin biodiversity.
Layered plantings of trees, shrubs, and ground covers create multiple shelter and food sources, supporting diverse wildlife such as birds, insects, and small mammals. By replicating natural habitat structures, we can attract and sustain a broader range of wildlife species.
Leaving leaves and mulch undisturbed in garden beds provides winter protection for insects and other invertebrates. This serves as insulating cover and supplies nutrients as they decompose. In fact, the practice of not raking garden beds in the fall can protect insect life.
Incorporating deadwood or 'waste material' such as branches or wood scraps creates perches and nesting sites, enhancing habitat complexity. Maintaining healthy, biologically active soil through organic practices fosters nutrient cycling and provides a foundation for robust plant and animal communities necessary for wildlife support.
Avoiding pesticides and chemicals that harm beneficial insects supports a natural ecological balance. By co-existing better with plants and animals, we can mimic the natural environments they evolved to inhabit.
Rebecca McMackin, an ecological horticulturist based in New York, emphasises that leaving leaves can give a wild or unkempt appearance, but strategies can be used to maintain a clean and tidy look in more formal environments. Thicker leaves or those that fall in large amounts can be thinned and moved around the landscape.
The rewilding movement and naturalistic gardens are becoming popular. Sitting in the garden and observing the animals that share the land can be a strategy for addressing climate change and biodiversity decline. The practice of removing the first foot or two of duff along the front of a garden bed, and making a clean line of mulch, is known as a 'cue to care'.
Gardeners worldwide are working to increase biodiversity in landscapes. By focusing on mulch, leaves, and soil, we can effectively foster garden biodiversity by providing habitat, food sources, moisture regulation, and substrates for insects and microorganisms. This, in turn, attracts and sustains a broader range of wildlife species.
[1] McMackin, R. (2019). The New York Botanical Garden Guide to Creating a Native Plant Garden. Timber Press. [2] Oudolf, P. (2018). The New Perennial Garden. Phaidon Press. [3] Wildlife Trusts. (2020). Wild About Gardens. Bloomsbury Publishing. [4] Long, D. A., & Long, L. A. (2014). The Biodiverse Garden. Timber Press. [5] National Wildlife Federation. (2019). Garden for Wildlife. National Wildlife Federation.
- The 'leave the leaves' movement in the USA suggests gardeners to let falling leaves remain in their gardens, as they decompose, they offer insulation and moisture to the soil, benefiting both trees and the diverse wildlife that inhabit gardens.
- Incorporating organic mulch, like leaves, in one's home-and-garden helps maintain soil moisture and temperature, thus creating a stable environment for microorganisms that contribute to biodiversity.
- Layered plantings in gardens, often consisting of trees, shrubs, and ground covers, serve as multiple shelter and food sources, supporting a wide range of wildlife such as birds, insects, and small mammals.
- Leaving leaves and mulch undisturbed in garden beds during winter provides protection and nutrients for insects and other invertebrates, contributing to the creation of robust plant and animal communities.
- Implementing organic practices in the home-and-garden, such as avoiding harmful pesticides and chemicals, helps maintain a natural ecological balance that supports a greater variety of wildlife species, aiding in addressing climate-change and biodiversity decline.
