Autumn, like dusk, gilded the landscape in its tangerine rays as the petals and foliage blushed in the crisp air. Beauty was everywhere.
As we begin to put our landscapes to bed – tidying, raking, mulching, and pruning, you might consider letting your perennials stand. To many, this seems counterintuitive, and to the fastidious, this seems outright insane, but Nature says otherwise.
Perennials within the natural world are certainly not cut back, so why should we? The answer lies mostly in aesthetics. Many people think spent perennials look untidy and unwieldly, yet they actually provide Winter interest, and more importantly, they serve as a source of food and shelter for local wildlife.
And as the snow falls and covers these perennials, undulating shapes and mounds give the winter landscape further depth and appeal.
Ornamental grasses are especially appealing as are Coneflowers, Sedum, Goldenrod, Sunflowers, Gaillardia, and Black Eyed Susans. Of course, if you have some aggressive self-seeders, you may want to consider cutting them back, or at least, removing their seed heads.
Fight your instincts and quell the urge to cut back your perennials. In doing so, you’ll be offering food and shelter for birds, squirrels, and other critters while creating interest in a somewhat lackluster gray and white season. As always, reach out to Sweeney’s with any questions or concerns you may have, and remember to schedule your Fall projects today as time is a ticking! We proudly serve the communities of Villa Park, Elmhurst, Oakbrook, Oakbrook Terrace, Glen Ellyn, Lombard, Wood Dale, Itasca, and more!
Sweeney’s: A Plant Based Company
Plant of the Week
Rozanne Geranium
Clusters of lavender-blue flowers bloom in mass amongst mounded, deeply cut foliage May – October. Prefers sun to partial sun and moist, well-drained soil. Grows 12-18″ tall and 24-36″ wide. Attracts butterflies. Deer and rabbit resistant.
“Autumn is the eternal corrective. It is ripeness and color and a time of maturity;
but it is also breadth, and depth, and distance. What man can stand with autumn
on a hilltop and fail to see the span of his world and the meaning of the rolling
hills that reach to the far horizon?”
-Hal Borland
Best wishes,
Kim Sweeney
Leaving perennials can actually help protect themselves against a harsh Winter. Also, come Spring, for many perennials, all you need to do is rake up the dried leaves and stems as there will be no need to use pruners making clean up a little easier.
Great advice and so true! Thanks for sharing!