Leaves are more important to our ecosystem than many people realize.  Not only do leaves provide a natural fertilizer, as they break down they form their own mini-ecosystem that provides shelter for wildlife.  Earthworms, lightning bugs, spiders and beetles hide out in the leaf litter and decaying wood.  These creatures are food for toads, salamanders, garter snakes and box turtles.

That’s not all, most of our butterflies and moths, and even some bat species, need those uncut fluffy leaves to complete their life cycles.  Monarchs may fly south, but Swallowtails, Buckeyes, Sulfers, Skippers and many other butterflies and moths stay right here in our yards in New Britain!!  They are hiding in the leaves in a different life stage, waiting appear next spring.

It is not just leaves that are essential, the stems and seed heads left standing in the your gardens are home to tiny native bees and flies too.  So many tiny beneficial neighbors!

Our Pollinator garden will be growing larger this winter so keep a look-out for added creature condos like logs, sticks, stumps and rocks.