You might have heard the slogan “Leave the Leaves” before. Although it is a simple statement, it has important benefits for your garden and biodiversity on a larger scale. Even the most seasoned gardeners might still bag up leaves to tidy their gardens instead of leaving a leafy mess.

The idea of pristine lawns and flower beds dates back to Victorian England, where it was a sign of wealth. Let’s get rid of this outdated concept and leave the leaves to build biodiversity and support soil health - a different kind of wealth!

Leaving the leaves is helpful to protect leaf-dwelling creatures such as spiders, caterpillars, cocoons, and even salamanders. Some moths cocoon overwinter in leaf litter and emerge in the spring - for example, the Polyphemus moth and other Giant Silk Moths camouflage their cocoons in leaf litter. Every creature and pollinator plays a role in contributing to the overall health and beauty of your garden so it is important to protect them. There is also another crucial reason to leave the leaves and that is to protect what’s below our feet: the soil ecosystem. 

The soil ecosystem: the most biodiverse place on Earth

New studies show that more than half of the Earth’s species live in the soil: 90% of fungi, 50% of bacteria and 85% of plants (M. Anthony et al., 2023). This is an incredible statistic! Organic gardeners have known for years that the soil is where the majority of life is. One teaspoon of healthy soil can contain up to a billion bacteria and up to 1 km of fungi (Fortuna, A., 2012). Good, healthy, nutritious and biodiverse soil produces beautiful plants. On a global scale, soil biodiversity affects climate change feedback due to carbon storing and production, global food security through food production, and human health (Weston, P., 2023). To play your part in protecting this crucial system, you can start with your garden!

Leaving the leaves leads to healthier soil

Nature knows best, and has been feeding soils during the fall and winter long before we had clearly defined garden plots and lawns. When you leave the leaves (and all the other dead plant parts), you create a litter layer that protects and feeds your soil. This layer breaks down over time, eventually becoming humus - a dark, nutrient-dense organic material that contains many of the nutrients needed to help plants survive and thrive. The litter layer both protects humus and eventually becomes it! 

Feed the soil naturally

Soil is very much alive. Feeding your soil for a healthy garden all year round requires more than simply adding compost and organic fertilizers during your growing season; the fall and winter is a time where the garden may appear lifeless on the surface, but is replenishing its nutrients for the spring and summer below ground. Leaving the leaves and organic matter to layer on your garden soil is a simple step you can do to improve the health of your garden all year. 

Why “leave the leaves”? So we can let Mother Nature do her thing: your garden will thank you!

If you’re interested in soil health and want to learn more about the importance of caring for the soils, consider taking our Organic Master Gardener course. This is a foundational course that will teach you so much about garden health, soil health and plant health for beautiful and sustainable green spaces. 

Sources

https://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/the-soil-biota-84078125/

https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.2304663120 

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/aug/07/more-than-half-of-earths-species-live-in-the-soil-study-finds-aoe 

Image Sources

Leaves: Elena Photo

Soil: Savany from Getty Images Signature

Have you ever looked at your lawn in the summer and felt it seemed sad, depleted and thirsty? You might consider adding clover. It can boost the soil’s capacity to hold nutrients and moisture. And it increases biodiversity! Adding clover to your grass can produce a more luscious, resilient, biodiverse and water-wise garden. Some benefits of clover:

1. It acts as a natural fertilizer

Like other legumes, clover adds nitrogen to the soil thanks to nitrogen-fixing bacteria living in its root nodes. Nitrogen is crucial for plants as a key component of the chlorophyll cell, allowing plants to photosynthesize and grow. 

2. It stays green and hydrated

Thanks to its deep roots, clover stays green even during the hot, dry summer months, reducing the need for irrigation. 

3. It's part of a biodiverse ecosystem

Clover flowers and nectar attract many important pollinators such as bees, butterflies and wasps. Pollinator populations everywhere are in trouble due to habitat destruction, climate change and pollution, so do your part by supporting your local pollinators!

4. It suppresses weeds

 Clover’s deep roots and prolific spread help keep other weeds from taking over your lawn. This means you do not need to apply herbicides/pesticides to have a healthy, luscious lawn.

5. It's edible! 

Clover leaves can be eaten raw. The flowers make a delicate tea and a pretty garnish. It’s also safe for pets to consume. 

Things to consider when adding clover to your lawn

Clover is originally from Europe. It was introduced to North America in the early settler-colonial times. Although non-native to Canada, some species of clover are considered non-invasive. It takes well to disturbed and nutrient-poor soils, which is why it can be considered an invasive weed. Micro clover is a species of clover that does well in a lawn because it’s not as competitive/invasive as other clovers. You can order organic micro clover seeds from West Coast Seeds.

Check out this video from Gaia College gardener Jennifer Hermary and the results she found after adding clover seeds to her lawn: https://www.instagram.com/p/C765boWO4wv/ 

Happy Solstice and happy growing!

Spring Equinox Intention: Plant More Native Plants!

The equinox marks the first day of spring, a time for new beginnings and intentions. This spring, we want to encourage you to integrate native plants into your garden planning. Your garden (and local ecosystem) will thank you!

The National Wildlife Federation suggests that to increase biodiversity, gardens should be composed of 50%-70% native plants. There are many reasons why you should include, even prioritize, native plants in your garden. In an age of rapidly declining species biodiversity, particularly for specialist species (those with limited geographical ranges and diets), it is important to think of how your garden can help support and even restore biodiversity. 

 

Why should you plant more native plants? 

1. They are better suited to local ecosystems

 Native plants are naturally well-suited to their native range and ecosystem. They are adapted to the conditions that most non-native plants suffer in, like drought and heavy rain. Coneflowers, for example, are drought-resistant plants that have long blooming periods which attract many pollinators. Swamp milkweed, as its name suggests, will happily grow in wet soils and will still produce beautiful pink flowers. 

2. They help restore local biodiversity

Many species of animals, birds and insects rely on native plants as sources of food and shelter. Due to increased urbanization and loss of habitat, many species have been displaced. By increasing the concentration of native plants in existing green spaces and gardens, we can help restore some of those relationships and provide a safe haven for species who rely on native plants to thrive. 

3. They support native pollinators 

 Native plants have co-evolved with native species of insects, birds, and animals. Some insect species rely solely on one kind of native plant. Monarch butterflies, for example, only lay their eggs on milkweed plants. When the eggs hatch, the plant’s leaves are the only source of food for the caterpillars. 

Up to 60% of North American native bee species are specialists when it comes to pollen, relying on native plants to feed their young. A drastic reduction in native plants has led to native bee populations plummeting. This is troubling, as native bees are much more effective pollinators than non-native honey bees, allowing for more successful pollination and seed-production of native plants. 

Increasing the number of native plants allows for native species of pollinators to be supported in their life cycles, and in turn, more native plants to thrive. 

More benefits of native plants

Native plants do not need to be fertilized, many are edible or have medicinal properties, many can be used for crafts and natural dyes, they are cheaper to maintain in the long run when planted correctly (because they need less resources) and many self-seed, coming back season after season. 

There are so many reasons why you should include native plants in your garden this spring! So why not become an ally to native plants and their ecological communities? 

Happy Gardening!

Gaia College

Some examples of plants native to various regions of Canada

• Aster
• Lupine (western Canada)
• Joe pye weed 
• Canada Columbine (east of the Rockies in Canada) 
• Cardinal flower (eastern Canada - Ontario & eastward)
• Bee balm (eastern Canada - Ontario & eastward)
• Canada goldenrod
• White yarrow

To determine which plants are native to your area, you should consult a native plant database or planting guide such as: 

• https://biodiversity.ucalgary.ca/resource/planting-guides/ 
• https://naturaledge.watersheds.ca/plant-database/ 
• https://pollinatorpartnership.ca/en/ecoregional-planting-guides 
• https://nanps.org/pc/native-plant-database/