Letting crops overgrow a little before chopping them back can help local wildlife to thrive.
While some gardeners are fans of a perfectly manicured hedge, visiting creatures are fonder of a more overgrown yard.
One Reddit user shared a sweet photo of some birds enjoying the foliage on the r/DenverGardener subreddit.
The Redditor captioned the post with, "These lovely birds were hanging out and eating the seeds from our Agastache plants."
They said the picture "confirmed that we should wait to cutback foliage."
Even though overgrown foliage can look somewhat unsightly over winter, it can provide nourishment and shelter for wildlife when temperatures drop and food becomes harder to find.
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Winter interest plants are another option to keep your yard looking beautiful during the chilly months, when other crops wither and die. Native plants you could think of growing when winter sets in include American holly, winterberries, Virginia roses, or American hawthorn.
Along with helping a whole host of birds, pollinators, and small mammals to survive during the colder seasons, introducing native plants and rewilding your yard can save you money, time, and energy.
Switching your monoculture lawn for one filled with native plants, or ground cover like clover or buffalo grass, will reduce the amount of yard maintenance you have to do. These options, in general, require much less water and mowing.
While a full garden makeover isn't a feasible option for everyone, simply introducing a few native plants to your yard can help you reap the benefits.
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I already have 😎 Reddit users flocked to the comment section to share their experience of winter foliage.
"We have seen the same thing with our wildflower meadow," one user remarked. "Every morning — even right after the snow — we get birds hanging out and gobbling up seed. So beautiful!"
"When I started focusing on native and low water plants, I was told to leave the foliage alone until spring," another person added. "Doing so is not only better for wildlife but helps collect precious moisture in a dry climate."
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