Fall is almost here—the days are shorter, the air is getting cooler, and your garden is slowing down for the season. But while it might be tempting to tidy everything up, pollinators prefer a little bit of mess. In fact, one of the best things you can do for your yard in autumn is less cleanup. By leaving leaves, stems, and seedheads in place, you’ll create essential habitat for insects while your plants overwinter.
Here are some simple tips to prepare your yard and pollinator plantings for winter:
Keep Plants and Trees Healthy Going into Winter
Native plants are resilient, but like any living things, they benefit from a little care before Minnesota’s deep freeze sets in.
- Water well until the ground freezes. Keep watering trees and perennials into the fall—about one inch per week when there’s no rain. Newly planted perennials and trees especially need this extra moisture to establish strong root systems. As temperatures drop, ease up the watering, but continue until the ground is frozen. A good rule of thumb: the soil should be moist, but not waterlogged, when you stop for the season.
- Mulch young plants and trees. Add a layer of mulch around new plantings to retain soil moisture, insulate roots, and help them survive the winter. Leaf litter can work well, too.
Rethink Fall Cleanup
A “perfectly tidy” fall yard may look neat, but leaves pollinators and other wildlife without shelter. The good news? By doing less, you’re helping more.
- Leave the leaves. Instead of bagging them up, rake leaves into your garden beds or under trees. They’ll act as natural mulch, insulating the soil and providing winter cover for butterflies, moths, and other insects. As they decompose, leaves return nutrients to the soil, acting as a free natural fertilizer.
- Rake with care. There are a few places where clearing leaves is important, including sidewalks, streets, and storm drains. Leaves that wash into storm drains flow directly into lakes, rivers, and streams, fueling algal blooms that harm water quality. Rake the leaves in these places and either compost them or move them to your garden beds.
Create Habitat for Overwintering Pollinators
Your fall garden can be a life-saving refuge for pollinators if you leave key features in place.
- Leave stems standing. Many native bees overwinter inside plant stems. If you do cut back, leave at least 18 inches so cavity-nesting bees have a safe place to stay.
- Keep the seedheads. Resist the urge to clip faded flowers. Seedheads not only add texture and beauty to your winter landscape, they also provide food to birds.
- Let brush piles be. If you’ve got a pile of branches or some logs in your yard, leave them in place. They provide shelter for bees, insects, and other beneficial critters.
Benefits Beyond Pollinators
Taking a lighter hand with fall cleanup has ripple effects that go far beyond pollinator habitat:
- Soil health. Decomposing leaves and plant material build healthier, more nutrient-rich soil.
- Water quality. Keeping leaves out of storm drains protects our waterways.
- Winter beauty. Standing seedheads and stems catch the frost and snow, adding natural beauty and texture to your yard through the colder months.
This fall, resist the urge to “do it all.” By leaving leaves, stems, and seedheads in your garden, and by giving your young plants a little extra care, you’ll be supporting pollinators, protecting soil and water, and enjoying an outdoor space with beauty year-round. So grab a cup of something warm, step outside, and admire your plants as they prepare for a long winter rest.
Related Resources
- Blue Thumb Fall Native Plant Sale (September 20, 2025)
- Blue Thumb Blog Post: Winter Yard Care for Water and Wildlife
- Blue Thumb Partners offering landscape maintenance services
- Apply for a Spring 2026 Lawns to Legumes pollinator habitat grant
– Megan Reich, Metro Blooms Communications and Program Manager