Maintaining Our Gardens To Maximize Their Value As Habitat

Ways to create fall and winter habitat.

FOR WELL-MEANING GARDENERS, sometimes the hardest thing to do is not much at all. But inaction is what the winter wildlife garden demands—at least for the most part.

A garden’s value to wildlife depends not only on what you plant, but also on how you maintain it. Decisions about when and how to tidy up the garden can make the difference between habitat creation and habitat destruction for stem-nesting insects and bees. Seed heads and the stems of perennial plants can provide food, overwintering materials, and habitat for birds and several species of native pollinators. 

If you’re cringing at the thought of a messy off-season landscape, think again. There is much to be gained from embracing—and getting creative with—organic materials during the winter months. “Most gardens are way too sterile,” says Claudia West, whose work informs the National Wildlife Federation’s How to Design a Better Wildlife Garden guide.

Be ready to commit. Desirable insects that enhance soil health and feed birds, lizards and other critters very likely will lay eggs in the debris provided. “It will be occupied,” she says confidently, “like a little hotel.” Similarly, fallen logs drilled with holes can be placed strategically to add form and create even more habitat for insects that nurture native wildlife.

From Smithsonian Gardens: Winter Garden Maintenance for Wildlife Friendly Habitats

 

Why Gardening Is So Good for You

Digging holes can be a workout and mood booster all rolled into one.

Some studies report that working in a garden lowers people’s scores on anxiety and depression measures; other research has found increased confidence and self-esteem among gardeners. In one small study, spending 30 minutes gardening lowered levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

Experts think there are a few possible ways gardening improves mental health. First, physical activity itself is a well-established way to boost mood.

It’s possible that the act of getting your hands dirty could have a positive effect on your mood, as well. There is some research to suggest that bacteria in soil can alter the microbiome in a way that reduces stress and inflammation.   https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/23/well/live/gardening-health-benefits.html?unlocked_article_code=1.cE8.uQ-h.ztS4GR1g9bau&smid=url-share

 Invasive Plants In Your Backyard

                                                       2020 EXPANDED EDITION

An invasive plant is a species non-native to an ecosystem, and whose introduction, whether accidental or intentional, causes harm to the environment, economy or human health.

The suppression of biodiversity in our ecology has an enormous social cost. It results from the extinction of many endangered species, each a part of the web of interdependency in local habitats. Fewer birds. Fewer butterflies. Fewer fragrant flowers on the forest floor.

Connecticut Invasive Plant List

Invasive plants are so successful because they often:

1. grow and mature rapidly
2. spread quickly
3. can flower and/or set seed over a long period of time
4. have few known diseases or insects to provide control
5. thrive in many habitats 
6. are difficult to control.        

 Mugwort: Ecosystem Disruptor

Mugwort is an invasive perennial found throughout North America. It is native to Europe and eastern Asia and was historically used as a medicinal herb that is believed to be introduced to the continent by Jesuit missionaries in the 16th century. 

Mugwort emerges in the spring and flowers in the late summer and early fall. A single Mugwort plant can produce up to 200,000 seeds however, seed dispersal isn’t considered the main contributor to spread. Mugwort generally spreads through the expansion of its shallow root system and branching rhizomes. 

Larger populations of Mugwort can displace native species as well as disrupt the natural succession of a given ecosystem. The pollen from Mugwort is also considered a common cause of hay fever.

 

Seed Producing Plants for Birds

Considerations regarding deadheading 

“Deadheading” can keep some plants blooming longer because the plant will put up new buds to try to produce seed. It works well for Black-eyed Susans  and Cone Flowers, among other perennials. 

If you cut off all the spent flower heads, though, you’re removing the part that the birds need!  A good compromise is to deadhead some of the flowers for a while to keep your patch blooming longer, but leave some to start seed production.  And, as the season winds down, leave all the remaining flowers on the stalks so that birds can feed on them through the fall and winter.

American Goldfinches are big fans of black-eyed Susan seeds and will adorn your garden with their own gold and black colors as they perch on the stalks picking out the tiny dark seeds. Other birds that are attracted to black-eyed Susan seeds include chickadees, Cardinals, White-breasted Nuthatches, and sparrows.  

For more about deadheading, read:  Plants for Birds

July 28, 2025

Avery House Garden with Rudbeckia, Cone Flower, Jerusalem Artichoke, Sea Holly, Daisy, Garden Phlox, Tansy, Butterfly Bush, etc.