Leave the leaves and other vegetation be…

Here in the Chicago Region we have had an extraordinary autumn season with warm temperatures and vivid fall colors. The deciduous trees and shrubs are now quickly shedding their leaves and other landscape plants are shriveling and drying. As Fall clean up starts in earnest consider “leaving the leaves” and the dried flower heads and stems from our past growing season. To some people this may look messy but it is really important for the survival of our native critters. Native birds, bees and insects need the leaf litter and dried vegetation to survive the winter and emerge in the Spring. The seed heads provide food for the birds, the plant stems allow the solitary bee a safe place to sleep through the winter, and the leaf litter protects the chrysalis of many varieties of butterflies and insects. The new life for the next growing season starts now in the decomposing leaves and plant material!