If you’re a determinedly tidy-minded gardener, then look away now, for this week’s column is an unapologetic ode to messiness, or at least to taking an intentionally laissez-faire approach to those once-traditional autumnal chores such as raking up leaves and cutting back perennials.
For those of us who grew up in a world where the great big autumn tidy-up was considered the mark of a proper gardener, this might sound like sacrilege. A neat winter garden sheared of all its faded summer glory was, until relatively recently, considered the equivalent of a short back and sides; eminently practical, efficient, and the very best way to change horticultural gears after all the abundance of summer. But as climate change threatens, and our understanding of soil health and the role that gardens play as wildlife habitats grows, times have changed.
The result is that leaving faded flower stems to overwinter and fallen leaves to rot down is no longer disapproved of by the majority of gardeners. Instead, it’s seen as a practical, pain-free, eminently nature-friendly and decorative way to suppo
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