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Fall Gardening Tips: How Not to Starve North American Songbirds

9/27/2019

Above photo: When Toronto-based nature photographer Ann Brokelman noticed city workers removing dead sunflowers, she asked them to leave them so that chickadees and goldfinch could continue to eat them.

2 Essential Fall Gardening Tips:

DON'T deadhead or cutback native plants.
DON'T rake up and remove all of your leaves.

WHY?

It’s not good for your garden and it puts beneficial pollinators --birds, butterflies, moths and bees, etc. -- at risk of extinction.

Seedheads provide food for resident and migratory birds during the fall and winter.

“Dead, seed-filled native flowers and shriveled fruits are essential for resident and migratory songbirds. For finches, sparrows, chickadees, buntings, jays, nuthatches, blackbirds, grosbeaks, etc., one stop in a messy garden equals a smörgåsbord.” Habitat Network: The Wildlife Value of A Messy Garden

Plant stems, leaf piles, twigs and logs provide winter homes of beneficial insects.
"According to the conservation scientists at The Xerces Society "when we treat leaves like trash – we’re tossing out the beautiful moths and butterflies that we’ll surely miss and work so very hard to attract."

"Most butterflies and moths overwinter as an egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, or adult and use leaf litter for winter cover (in all but the warmest climates).
Bumble bees need leaf litter to protect them from harsh winter conditions. At summer's end, mated queen bumble bees burrow into the earth (only about 1-2 in; 5 cm) to hibernate for winter.
Other leaf-dwelling animals: spiders, snails, worms, beetles, millipedes, mites, and more support the chipmunks, turtles, birds, and amphibians that rely on these insects for food." Xerces.org

Image: Habitat Network. Butterfly: The, question mark (Polygonia interrogationis) in fall leaf litter.

More advice from the Habitat Network:
Many butterfly species burrow into:

"thick piles of leaf litter
a chunk of tree bark or other cavity

Other butterflies, such as the swallowtail and sulphur butterflies will remain in their chrysalis’ over the winter suspended under a dried leaf or tucked away on the ground.

When you leave your gardens messy, including ignoring the dried leaves on plants, you help to encourage a rich population of native butterflies and moths in the following spring and summer."

Beyond Your Garden: Further Action Steps

Contact park and city staff to request that they leave the dead native plants and leaves alone.
Spread the word to residents, churches, and other community members.

Manicured gardening chores:

are not good for your plants
contribute to global warming
harm wildlife

Sustainable pesticide-free gardens
are alive with energy that supports the ecosystems we humans depend on to survive.

Resources:

A sustainable garden can look attractive. Click to find out how to How to Make a Messy Garden Look Good.
For more Fall Do's and Don'ts: Put Down Those Pruners: Pollinators Need Your ‘Garden Garbage!’

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Do Have Goldenrod in Your Garden?

9/13/2019

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In the video below, monarchs are fueling up on nectar from goldenrod, a vital and misunderstood native plant.

Plant goldenrod for #monarchs. Video by Pat Fowler & husband in Hawk Cliff area, Port Stanley, ON. Goldenrod is 1 of the few high-energy native nectar sources for monarchs & other pollinators in fall. Pollen is also an important protein source for many beneficial insects. pic.twitter.com/tiBjTXmp2v
— Deb (@ecoversed) September 13, 2019

Many gardeners mistake goldenrod for ragweed and remove it from their gardens and public spaces. Allergy sufferers: Don't blame and obliterate the wrong plant!

"There are 120 goldenrods species native to Canada and the US, and 8-9 species native to Mexico," according to John C. Semple, Professor Emeritus and Adjunct Professor at the University of Waterloo’s Astereae Lab.

How to Tell the Difference

According to Catskill Native Nursery (which specializes in nursery-propagated North American perennials, fruits, shrubs and trees):

"Goldenrod and ragweed like the same environment and bloom at exactly the same time, but the eye catching Goldenrod is a lot easier to see than the Plain Jane Ragweed.

Goldenrod pollen is actually very heavy and sticky and does not get moved around much in the wind. The plant has evolved to be pollinated by insects and that is why you see so many bees and butterflies covering the bright yellow flowers.

Ragweed has evolved to be pollinated by wind currents, and even a slight breeze will send off a cloud of its pollen through the air and into your face. Ragweed doesn't have to dangle any bling to get what it wants.

So enjoy the approximate 120 varieties of Goldenrod and whenever possible yank the prolific Ragweed, preferably before it goes into bloom."

Take Action

Help protect the monarch migration from extinction. Plant native nectar sources, like goldenrod, in your yard and community sites. Other beneficial pollinators, many of which are experiencing population declines, will also benefit.

Milkweed is the number one plant for monarchs as it is the only plant monarch caterpillars will eat. The blooms also provide nectar for adults.

Check out:

Please spread the word about goldenrod to your neighbours and others in your community.

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How to make your community safe for monarchs.

8/9/2019

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Without milkweed, monarch butterflies cannot exist.

Do Your Part to bring monarchs back from the brink of human-caused extinction:

Learn how to recognize milkweed and grow it in your gardens, schoolyards, communities. Share your knowledge with your community.

Monarch butterfly populations have plunged by 90% in the last two decades. Why? Pesticides, agricultural insecticides, and the destruction of natural habitats across North America are some human actions that have harmed monarchs. Stay tuned for great tips to make your home yard, school yard and community safe for monarchs. In the meantime, here are three tips:

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Fall Gardening Tips: How Not to Starve North American Songbirds

Do Have Goldenrod in Your Garden?

In the video below, monarchs are fueling up on nectar from goldenrod, a vital and misunderstood native plant.

How to Tell the Difference

Take Action

How to make your community safe for monarchs.

Deb Toor

Archives

Environment, Nature, Earth Day, Children's Books, Nature Activities, Environmental Literacy, Educational Resources,
Nature Books, Animal Books, Vultures. Wildlife Ecosystem Services, Citizen Science, Conservation Scientists, Wildlife Population Declines

Fall Gardening Tips: How Not to Starve North American Songbirds

Do Have Goldenrod in Your Garden?

In the video below, monarchs are fueling up on nectar from goldenrod, a vital and misunderstood native plant.

How to Tell the Difference

Take Action

How to make your community safe for monarchs.

Deb Toor

Archives

Environment, Nature, Earth Day, Children's Books, Nature Activities, Environmental Literacy, Educational Resources,Nature Books, Animal Books, Vultures. Wildlife Ecosystem Services, Citizen Science, Conservation Scientists, Wildlife Population Declines​

Environment, Nature, Earth Day, Children's Books, Nature Activities, Environmental Literacy, Educational Resources,
Nature Books, Animal Books, Vultures. Wildlife Ecosystem Services, Citizen Science, Conservation Scientists, Wildlife Population Declines