‘Putting the Garden to Bed’, but at what cost?

Tidying up the garden in autumn was the ‘done’ thing for our grandparents. This annual chore has been ingrained in us. It’s natural and healthy to live in a clean, tidy environment indoors, but is this necessary outdoors? Does this long-standing obsession for ‘tidiness’ in our gardens come at a cost?

Over the past 10 years, I have watched our public green spaces become more and more fragmented as a result of infrastructure. So too have I witnessed a worrying decrease in our wildlife. Birds, bees and other insect numbers have fallen dramatically, and continue to do so. Wildlife is relying more heavily on our gardens for refuge, especially in winter. 

Our natural instinct is to find solace in nature, where wildflowers and trees grow, where we can hear birds singing, bees buzzing and the sound of grasses blowing in the wind. Yet we still feel compelled to devoid our own green space of all life. We clip, we prune, we strim and clear every inch of our gardens in autumn for that neat and tidy look. Yet we rarely venture out in winter to appreciate our efforts.

Our gardens are a lifeline for wildlife. Every nook and cranny, every log pile, every patch of undisturbed soil, every compost heap, every hollow stem or seed head of a decaying perennial, every patch of moss, is a home or a food source for one species or another. These are the homes for next year’s bumblebees, for next year’s birds, for next year’s butterflies, for next year’s hedgehogs and mice. They all have a part to play in our food chain. Without them we cannot enjoy the natural world in all its glory and there is no future for us.

So, when you next feel the urge to get out and put your garden ‘to bed’ before the nights draw in, please spare a thought for the wildlife that calls your garden home. Maybe leave that pile of grass and shrub clippings in a pile this year, or let the seed heads of your perennials sit proudly this winter. Embrace the death and decay in the garden and enjoy it in all its natural beauty.

Your wildlife depends on it.

Image of my garden in winter 2024.