Earth Day: Nature thrives in the mess
The recent spell of warm weather saw many of us out in our backyards, beginning the hopeful spring activity of “tidying up” and preparing our gardens for the upcoming growing season. I was one of those hopefuls, spending every warm day out in the garden. However, walking by my house one might think I spent no time at all, because there is still a considerable amount of “mess” lying around. The dead stalks of perennials still wave in the breeze; leaves still carpet borders, gardens, and swathes of the backyard; and branches still lay underneath trees. To some, my gardening style is untidy. To me, it’s an intentional act of kindness towards nature that brings me infinite joy.
The ecosystems that support all life on earth (including human life) appear messy and chaotic, but within that chaos is an order so magical it defies belief. Leaves fall to replenish nutrients in the soil, regulate hydrology and provide habitat for organisms who in turn work to nourish the soil and pollinate plants and trees; old trees drop limbs when they need an extra burst of nutrients, so the limbs will decay back into the soil at their base; amongst tree roots and under dead vegetation and logs, vast networks of mycorrhizae (the “roots” of fungi) weave together to form nature’s world wide web, communicating with each other through chemical exchange in a way that scientists are only beginning to understand.
For millennia, plants and animals have evolved intricate relationships that create a complex and magnificent web of life to which we and all other species alive today can credit our existence. Unfortunately, through unchecked growth and a desire to dominate and control nature we are snipping away at the strands of this web with accelerating speed, as the planet’s biodiversity faces multiple threats from climate change, habitat loss, pesticide use, and myriad other human-induced impacts.
The good news? Nature bounces back, when given the chance. As much as we have the power to destroy it, we also have the power to encourage and protect it.
Which brings me back to the subject of our gardens.
When my family moved to Creemore a year and a half ago I was disheartened by the lack of pollinators and birds on our in-town property, so I planted a native perennial garden and converted the verge out front to wildflowers. By the end of last summer, wewere buzzing with life. We had monarch caterpillars on our newly planted milkweed, bees and butterflies of all types, praying mantis, a variety of colourful and interesting native beetle species, and many other less charismatic but equally beneficial invertebrates, working hard to pollinate our vegetable garden and nourish our soil and our souls. With them came the songbirds, the bats, the frogs and the toads, all who rely on insects for their survival.
It’s been said that if each American converted half of their gardens to native plantings and established more natural spaces, they could collectively create a 20 million acre network of connected habitat for pollinators and other beneficial organisms across the country, the equivalent of a huge national park! While I don’t have a similar statistic for Canada, each and every person with a backyard or even just a balcony can create their own little national park at home, providing the habitat required to support native species and protect native ecosystems.
There are benefits to the gardener of choosing native plants and trees and easing up on the tidying, too. For example, our lovely green lawns (which support almost no life, by the way) require a lot of water and effort to maintain, especially during hot, dry weather like we’re expected to have this summer. The roots beneath our lawns extend only an inch down into the soil, meaning they are highly susceptible to drought; by comparison, the roots of some native perennials extend up to 12 feet down (anecdotally, I did not water my native perennial garden once last year and it remained lush throughout the summer. My lawn, less so). Leaving leaves and other vegetation to decompose in situ also frees up raking and bagging time and helps hold moisture in the soil.
I’m not suggesting that everyone must dig up their lawns and replace them entirely with native perennials, or leave all of the leaves where they fall. I would love that for myself, but we all have different aesthetic tastes. Whether you’re a wild child like me, watch episodes of Lawn and Order on repeat, or are comfortable somewhere in the middle, here are some choices we can all make in our backyards this month and beyond to create space for nature:
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Make some room for native plants in your garden by replacing a section of lawn to create a native perennial garden or by incorporating native plants into your existing beds. Our gardens should bring us joy, so do this in a way that pleases you, whether that’s replacing a huge section of lawn or simply adding some native perennials to more manicured borders or beds. Even a pot or two of native plants on a balcony makes a difference. Check out notsohollowfarm. ca, earthrevival.ca, and Pollinate Collingwood for plants and inspiration.
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If you have space, consider planting a native tree or shrub. Red maples are a great choice, as these gorgeous trees provide a critical source of early nectar for our native pollinators.
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Take a gentler approach to tidying up. If you’re not comfortable leaving all leaves where they fall, consider dedicating a smaller area out of sight or in a border for leaf litter. Your soil will thank you, and so will the songbirds. Did you know it takes around 6,000-9,000 caterpillars to rear one baby chickadee, many of which are overwintering down in the leaf litter?
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Wait a little bit longer to do whatever tidying up you must do, until daytime temperatures are above 10 degrees for seven consecutive days. This gives overwintering insects time to emerge, rather than being bagged up for municipal waste collection.
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Whentidyingupperennialgardens,cutbackhollow stems to about 12 inches above the ground and leave the remaining stems in situ. As the perennials grow they will hide the dead stems, which will provide overwintering habitat for solitary bees come autumn.
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I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: when planning vegetable gardens, don’t forget to incorporate flowers (not just native flowers, any flowers); these will provide an additional source of food for pollinators, while attracting them to your garden to ensure successful pollination of your crops.
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Involve children in your efforts, where possible. Tell them what you’re doing and why you’re doing it, and let them get involved. If space permits, give them a small patch to create their own wildlife garden, which will turn into a great science lab as the ecosystem takes shape.
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And most of all, have fun! As a society we spend a considerable amount of time and money venturing into provincial and national parks and other wild spaces to soak in their beauty. Why not create some of that beauty at home to enjoy?
