SOMA gardens are truly a sight to behold. As the days are getting warmer, the urge to go out and prepare our beautiful yards is upon us.
But not so fast, warn our pollinators.
The fireflies, butterflies, and ladybugs that nest in our yards and make our gardens their homes need a few more weeks to prepare for spring. The leaf cover and decaying soil provide them the protection they need to stay warm and while they wait to emerge in the spring.
Bees are essential garden pollinators and crucial to healthy habitats. There are 3,500 native bee species in the U.S. and those that nest underground emerge in spring to pollinate. The fallow ground, dead leaves, and other garden detritus provide an additional layer of insulation that protects these insects so they can emerge in the spring, ready to pollinate your garden and help it bloom.
Even though the air temperature has become warmer, the soil takes longer to heat up. Those creatures who have made their homes under leaves, sticks, and other garden debris, are still hibernating, nesting, and waiting until warmer weather so they can safely emerge. Returning migrating birds will find seeds and insects to eat and twigs to use for their young to nest in.
Your flowers will thank you too. The natural dead leaf mulch protects perennials from freeze-thaw damage and allows earthworms who feed on leaf litter to enrich the soil by creating humus and aeration. Those bees whom you protected will be ready to flit about, worms will mulch your soil, and the birds will descend to feast upon them.
You can go all the way into the No Mow May movement, in which residents postpone mowing their grass until June. While this may appear untidy to some, the longer grass gives all our tiny critters time to emerge and thrive in the new, spring weather. [Editor’s note: Read our story last year about how the No Mow May movement is evolving as the “emphasis is shifting toward maintaining habitat for pollinators year-round.”]
Got spring fever? Now is a good time to plan your garden, sharpen your tools, clean lawn furniture, and order new items to enjoy in the summer. Once the temperatures are consistently above 50 degrees, you can start your garden clean up. A bit of patience now will be rewarded with a healthy habitat for all our creatures to enjoy.
For more information, check out https://xerces.org/ and https://beelab.umn.edu/slow-mow-summer
RELATED: No More No Mow May in Maplewood & South Orange?
Also from Jessica Weitzman on behalf of the South Orange Environmental Commission:
- What Goes in Curbside Recycling in South Orange (and Maplewood)?
- ‘Every Drop Counts’—Tips, Tricks & Little Known Facts About Recycling in South Orange
- Sustainable Wrapping Ideas From the South Orange Environmental Commission
