“We create nectar gardens to attract butterflies, then rake the garden and literally throw them all away,” says Randi Eckel, an entomologist and owner of Toadshade Wildflower Farm, a mail-order native plant nursery in Frenchtown, N.J. “We need to think about all the life stages of these insects instead of focusing only on the beautiful adults. We also have to feed their children.”
Now, young stages of butterflies, moths and other beneficial insects are nestled in last year’s leaves, some of them munching on decomposing duff — leaves, twigs, bark and other plant litter. By waiting to clean up your garden until daytime temperatures are consistently above 50 degrees for at least seven consecutive days, and approaching the chore with a light touch, you can keep giving those youngsters a head start on life.
That’s not to say, though, that you can’t start yard and gardening work. Here are suggestions for how to approach spring cleaning in the garden, without going overboard.
Match insects to their host plants. Many people know the common names of the native plants in their gardens. Fewer can match each plant to the insect that relies on it for its dietary and reproductive needs. For example, Baltimore checkerspots overwinter as caterpillars at the base of white turtlehead (Chelone glabra), and swallowtail butterflies attach their chrysalises to Hubricht’s bluestar (Amsonia hubrichtii). Knowing which plants support which insects, and how, will make you less likely to want to disturb your garden too early.
Remove leaves from hard surfaces and pathways. Neaten the yard while also preventing slips and falls by clearing paths, patios, decks and driveways of leaves. While you’re at it, thin out thick, moist piles of leaves in the yard, which can attract ticks.
If possible, relocate the leaves on the property — perhaps to woods, if you have them. Or spread them around the base of trees to create garden beds. When fall arrives, these areas will serve as what Eckel calls “soft landings”: places where butterflies and moths that have been feeding on your trees can drop into a garden to overwinter instead of onto a lawn. But, she says, “do not pile the leaves up like a volcano. No tree likes anything volcanoed up around the bark.”
If you have room in your yard, consider mixing the leaves with fallen twigs to create a brush pile. Adult mourning cloak, question mark and comma butterflies may overwinter next year in these piles. They are “some of the first butterflies we see in spring,” says Eckel, who is also president of the Native Plant Society of New Jersey.
Jennifer Brunelle, owner of Greenleaf Designer Gardens in Littleton, Mass., discourages her clients in the Boston suburbs from having brush piles, because her area is overrun with rabbits, which tend to nest in them. But Eckel is a fan. “A brush pile is so much simpler than a compost pile. It’s where you stack sticks and excess leaves. Over time, it settles and breaks down some, and you put more things on top of it.”
Edge the beds. Few things neaten a naturalistic garden like fresh edging around beds. Use a spade with a straight edge or a half-moon edger with a semicircular blade to cut into the ground along the existing edge. “Edging gives a nice, sharp look that makes these gardens look very classy,” Eckel says. If plants are hanging over into the lawn, create an edge farther out and enlarge the size of the bed at the same time.
Address storm damage. Perennials that have bent or broken because of wind or snowstorms can be left alone. But if you want order, cut the stems where they snapped, leaving about 18 inches of intact stem if possible. Lay the cut pieces near the plant, where they can decompose and the insects inside can eventually leave. Another option is to bind multiple cut stems with twine into bundles and lean them against a tree or place them in the back of the garden.
Install a wildlife habitat sign. With more native plant gardens popping up in front yards, a wildlife habitat sign can mean the difference between sidelong glances and the faces of excited children and curious parents interested in installing such a garden themselves. “Passersby, relatives and neighbors will understand that this is an intentional choice and is being done to benefit wildlife,” Eckel says.
You’ve probably already seen such signs. They might announce Certified Wildlife Habitat, Plants for Birds or Certified Monarch Garden. But they all serve the same purpose of making known that there’s a method to the perceived madness. Some signs can be purchased, while others require certification through a conservation group such as the National Wildlife Federation (nwf.org), the North American Butterfly Association (nababutterfly.com) or National Audubon Society chapters (audubon.org).
Plan to replace hardwood mulch with living mulch. Locate bare areas in beds and fill them with low-growing ground-cover perennials, known as living — or green — mulch. This can reduce or eliminate the need for hardwood mulch. The plants suppress weeds, prevent erosion and retain moisture like traditional mulch, and over time, certain varieties will spread. “There’s an initial investment for the plants upfront,” Brunelle says. “But if you’re paying for mulch and the labor to spread it, then over time, it’s more cost effective to buy the plants.”
Brunelle recommends using low-growing mounds of prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis), as well as blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium angustifolium), which she describes as “a mini-iris with cute blue flowers.”
The main thing is to keep your garden in perspective. “It’s not just the plants and flowers that make a garden exciting,” Eckel says. “It’s the butterflies, moths, bees, beetles and birds interacting with those plants and flowers.”
Monica Cardoza writes about outdoor recreation and conservation from Ridgewood, N.J. Find her online at monicacardoza.com and on Twitter @probablyoutside.
