Embrace the mess.

As autumn's brilliant colours fade and leaves blanket our gardens, many homeowners instinctively reach for rakes and leaf blowers, eager to restore their lawns to a pristine green carpet. However, this well-intentioned tidiness comes at a significant cost to the wildlife that depends on leaf litter for survival through the harsh winter months.

By leaving the leaves where they fall, you can provide crucial habitat for insects, invertebrates and mammals while supporting the entire ecosystem that sustains local biodiversity.

For insects, fallen leaves represent nothing less than a lifeline through winter. Countless butterfly and moth species spend the cold months nestled within leaf litter in various life stages.

Some overwinter as eggs attached to dried leaves, while others shelter as pupae or chrysalises tucked beneath the protective layer. Native bees, which are early, more effective pollinators than honeybees for many plants, also depend on leaf cover.

These solitary bees often nest in small cavities within the soil, and the insulating layer of leaves above provides essential protection from temperature extremes that could otherwise prove fatal.

Ladybugs, ground beetles and other beneficial predatory........

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