Happy New Year! As the excitement of the holidays and the new year begin to dwindle, other things begin to pre-occupy our time. As a gardener, one of the things that come to mind is cleaning up last year’s garden. I’m talking about all those dirty chores that involve deadheading, pruning, pulling and whatever other tidying up the garden needs prior to spring. For most of us it’s a yearly ritual once everything has died back; however, I think I’m going to skip this garden chore for now. Whatta ya think? Who’s with me?

If you enjoy attracting and watching birds in your garden like I do, try leaving a few areas of the garden “untidy” this winter. All those standing stems, leaves and seedheads provide food, shelter and nesting materials for birds and other little creatures, and removing them all now removes important food and shelter for wildlife. In addition, frost and snow add character to a winter garden that has standing grasses and steams still intact.

Stands of dead plants also help the soil retain moisture and stabilize ground temperature, as well as helping prevent soil compacting and erosion from rain and snow. Small birds scratch in this soft leaf litter, feeding on worms, grubs and seeds.

In my landscape, debris from those areas that do require a little cleanup in the fall and winter get piled up in the corner of the back yard, where they serve as shelter and roosting places for small song birds. Brush piles add instant shelter and safety to your backyard bird habitat and are also a great way to practice habitat conservation by reusing the yard waste rather than filling up the landfill.

My current backyard brush pile:

Consider these ideas in your own garden this winter. The birds will thank you for it and you’ll save yourself a little work, guilt free!