Garden Gate – October 2019

30 GARDEN GATE | OCTOBER 2019 | ISSUE 149

smart gardening

Fall garden cleanup: Rake up all your leaves and cut back

all your perennials — or is it really that simple?

ILLUSTRATIONS: Lisa Orgler

he days are getting shorter, the nights cooler,

your plants are starting to wind down and, after

the effort of growing a garden all spring and sum-

mer, you’re ready to rest, too. But the sight of plants

dying back and leaves falling spurs a plethora of

different responses in gardeners. Do you go out for a

fi nal hurrah of tending the plants? Or do you simply

sit back and let the garden put itself to bed? Is there

really a method to the madness?

It’s safe to say there are many methods, backed

by a variety of philosophies. So I asked several

accomplished gardeners to share the details of their

hows and whys of cleaning up the garden in the fall.

Whether you want a habitat for wildlife, something

nice and tidy, or a healthy environment for your

plants to grow, you’ll probably fi nd a gardener who

aligns with your garden goals and habits.

From raking it all up to leaving it be, you’ll hear

from one extreme to the other, and a little bit of

everything in between—and there are good reasons

for every approach. Read six widely variant responses

and you can rest assured about one thing: There’s

no one right way to do it. Weigh the pros and cons

presented on the following pages, and fi nd which

method is best for your garden’s needs.

—Chloe Deike

Botanical

Names

Aster

Symphyotrichum

spp. and hybrids

Bee balm

Monarda spp.

and hybrids

Goldenrod

Solidago spp.

and hybrids

Peony

Paeonia spp.

and hybrids

GG14930_33_FallCleanUp.indd 30GG14930_33_FallCleanUp.indd 30 6/27/2019 12:06:36 PM6/27/2019 12:06:36 PM

30 GARDEN GATE | OCTOBER 2019 | ISSUE 149

smart gardening

Fall garden cleanup: Rake up all your leaves and cut back

all your perennials — or is it really that simple?

ILLUSTRATIONS: Lisa Orgler

he days are getting shorter, the nights cooler,

your plants are starting to wind down and, after

the effort of growing a garden all spring and sum-

mer, you’re ready to rest, too. But the sight of plants

dying back and leaves falling spurs a plethora of

different responses in gardeners. Do you go out for a

fi nal hurrah of tending the plants? Or do you simply

sit back and let the garden put itself to bed? Is there

really a method to the madness?

It’s safe to say there are many methods, backed

by a variety of philosophies. So I asked several

accomplished gardeners to share the details of their

hows and whys of cleaning up the garden in the fall.

Whether you want a habitat for wildlife, something

nice and tidy, or a healthy environment for your

plants to grow, you’ll probably fi nd a gardener who

aligns with your garden goals and habits.

From raking it all up to leaving it be, you’ll hear

from one extreme to the other, and a little bit of

everything in between—and there are good reasons

for every approach. Read six widely variant responses

and you can rest assured about one thing: There’s

no one right way to do it. Weigh the pros and cons

presented on the following pages, and fi nd which

method is best for your garden’s needs.

—Chloe Deike

Botanical
Names

Aster
Symphyotrichum
spp. and hybrids
Bee balm
Monarda spp.
and hybrids
Goldenrod
Solidago spp.
and hybrids
Peony
Paeonia spp.
and hybrids