Still Standing: Benefits of a "Messy" Yard Over Winter

Credit: HDT Staff

It can be tempting to cut everything down in the fall, but leaving some of your garden “messy” through winter is one of the best gifts you can give to birds, pollinators, and your soil. Food, shelter and healthier soil (which brings better results for next season) are all natural payoffs. In addition, the barren look of a snow-covered yard is relieved by last season’s plants.

Food for Birds and Critters

Seed heads from plants like sunflowers, coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, goldenrod (see more on goldenrod below), and ornamental grasses provide a natural food source when pickings are slim.

Shelter for Pollinators

Many native bees, butterflies, and beneficial insects hibernate in hollow stems or under leaf litter. Plants like bee balm, joe-pye weed, milkweed, and asters provide winter homes for the next generation of pollinators.

Soil Protection for Healthy Soil

Standing plants and leaf litter act like a natural mulch, shielding soil from erosion, helping retain moisture, and enriching it as they decompose. Keeping all types of roots in soil also contributes to soil structure.

Winter Beauty

Credit: HDT Staff

Frosted seed heads, grasses, and stems add stunning texture and interest to your landscape, even in the quiet months. Some ornamental plants, such as winterberry, offer a pop of red when it’s most needed. In addition persistent fruit like this is food for wildlife, according to the University of Minnesota Extension.

Three Keepers: Goldenrod, Deadwood, and Ornamental Grass

Goldenrod in warmer months. Credit: Bingo Scavenger Hunt

Goldenrod is a star in multiple ways, according to the website gardenforwildlife.com. Not only does it have seeds for food, but those beneficial insects utilize Goldenrod’s hollow stems for overwintering. In warmer months, it supports a variety of pollinators to boot! Goldenrod’s root system is also significant, which is one of the factors in soil health. 

Wildlife condominium. Credit: Bingo Scavenger Hunt

What some might call deadwood is a condominium for wildlife! Trees with holes provide shelter from harsh weather for birds and other creatures. If you want to take it one step further, you can build a backyard wildlife habitat brush pile. Find instructions from the DNR on how to construct one at the end of this blog.

Brown/gold is often discounted as a "color" in summer landscapes, but snow season, it's a welcome addition!. Credit: Bingo Scavenger Hunt

By rethinking “clean-up,” you’re not neglecting your garden, you’re creating a healthy habitat that benefits wildlife and sets the stage for a thriving spring.

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