12/01/2025
Not everything in the garden needs to be tidied up before winter. ❄️In fact, leaving some flowers standing can be one of the best gifts we can give to wildlife. 💛
Plants like echinacea or coneflowers are some of the last to bloom, offering late-season food for pollinators when most flowers have already called it a year. After blooms fade, their seed heads will become natural bird feeders through the winter. 🐦
It’s also about providing shelter as the stalks, leaves, and hollow stems of many perennials create safe overwintering spots for beneficial insects, from native bees to ladybugs and lacewings. 🐝 🐞🪲These little helpers need a cozy place to ride out the cold, and our “messy” garden beds are perfect for providing the much needed safe havens.
So if you see a few dried flowers standing tall in our beds, know that they’re there on purpose and providing food, habitat, and a healthier ecosystem, even in these quiet months. ⛄️