SUSTAINABLE GARDENING: Embrace Fallen Leaves and Build Healthy Soil

October is a month to slow down and work with nature’s natural cycles in your sustainable landscape. As trees shed their leaves, resist the urge to rake everything away. Instead, allow fallen leaves to remain in garden beds or shred and mulch them into the soil.

Leaves act as a natural mulch layer, helping conserve moisture, suppress weeds, and slowly break down to enrich the soil with organic matter. This process improves soil structure and supports beneficial microorganisms that keep your plants healthy.

Moreover, fallen leaves provide crucial shelter for overwintering pollinators, beneficial insects, and other wildlife. Many native bees and butterflies spend the winter in leaf litter or under shrub cover, so maintaining this natural habitat supports local biodiversity.
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If you choose to mulch leaves, spread a thin layer to avoid smothering plants and ensure airflow. Using leaf mulch this way contributes to a thriving, sustainable garden that nurtures both plants and pollinators.

SUSTAINABLE GARDENING: Planting Tips to Support Late-Season Pollinators

​September is the ideal time to get your landscape ready for the cooler months ahead. The soil remains warm enough to encourage strong root growth, while air temperatures start to cool, reducing stress on new plantings. This combination helps native trees and shrubs establish deep roots before winter arrives.

Consider incorporating late-blooming native flowers such as New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) and goldenrod (Solidago spp.). These plants provide crucial nectar and pollen for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators preparing for winter, making your garden a vital stopover.

Mulching your beds with organic material like shredded leaves or bark helps conserve soil moisture during drier autumn weeks and suppresses weeds naturally. Over time, mulch breaks down to enrich the soil, supporting healthy microbial life.

By working with nature’s rhythm this September, your sustainable landscape will thrive, offering beauty and ecological benefits well into the next season.