As spring approaches in New England, gardeners feel inspired to clean up their beds and ready their gardens for new growth. Acknowledging the benefits of leaving plant stems standing for winter, the article suggests waiting until insects appear, typically late March to early April, to begin cutbacks. Additionally, it advocates for using fallen leaves as mulch to enrich soil and protect emerging plants, emphasizing a natural approach to gardening that maintains ecosystem health without pesticides.
Leaving stems standing over winter has loads of benefits, from protecting the crown of the plant, providing habitat and nesting for bees and other wildlife, as well as extending the aesthetic interest of your garden.
For mulch, I like to leave as much leaf litter in the beds as possible in the fall while collecting leaves from the lawn into a pile.
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