Jennifer Miree Cope’s Guide to Fall Gardening: Helping Nature Without Hurting Your Garden
Written by Wyles Daniel
Every autumn, as the air cools and the trees turn to gold, the leaves begin their inevitable descent. For the urban or suburban gardener, that beautiful cascade often ends with a rake in hand and a mountain of bags by the curb. But things are changing. These days, a new mantra has taken root: “Leave the leaves.” Landscaping expert Jennifer Miree Cope explains what it is, why leaves matter for insects, and how the urban gardener can handle this new dilemma.
Why Leaves Matter for Insects and Soil Health
The “Leave the Leaves” movement began as a small but meaningful shift in how gardeners view fall cleanup. Rather than seeing fallen leaves as litter, ecologists and entomologists urged homeowners to recognize them as living ecosystems. Beneath those layers of oak, maple, and cherry leaves, countless pollinators, beetles, and butterflies spend the winter months sheltered from the cold.A two-year study by Maryland scientists showed that removing leaf litter can harm overwintering insects such as pollinators and beetles. Their findings encouraged homeowners to skip the leaf blower and let nature’s blanket do its work. The movement grew quickly, backed by the noble hope of restoring biodiversity one backyard at a time. As the leaves slowly decompose, they return nutrients to the soil, enriching it with organic matter and improving its texture and moisture retention. What once seemed messy is, in fact, one of nature’s most elegant recycling systems, turning seasonal debris into nourishment for the coming spring.
The Urban Gardener’s Dilemma
As Jennifer Miree Cope points out, good intentions sometimes collide with real-world realities. In dense neighborhoods, one or two street trees can bury an entire yard beneath a thick mat of maple or cherry leaves. Left untouched, that layer can smother tender bulbs, delay spring growth, and invite mold or pests. For gardeners who cherish their perennials, “doing nothing” can feel more destructive than kind.The challenge, then, is balance: not abandoning the garden to decay and not treating fallen leaves as waste. A few thoughtful steps can help both your plants and the small creatures that depend on your soil for shelter.
- Shred before you spread. Run over leaves with a mower to break them into smaller pieces. Shredded leaves decompose faster and let air and light reach the soil below.
- Create a leaf zone. Leave a quiet corner of your yard undisturbed — under a tree, behind a shed, or along a fence — where insects can safely overwinter.
- Compost the excess. If you have too many leaves, pile them into a compost bin or use them as mulch around trees and shrubs.
- Protect what’s fragile. Clear thick layers off flower beds or emerging bulbs to keep them from suffocating.
In other words, you don’t have to choose between being eco-friendly and being a good gardener. You can do both, but it will take some extra research, care, and moderation.
Jennifer Miree Cope often reminds her readers that gardening is a conversation with nature, not a conquest. Every fallen leaf carries a story of growth, rest, and renewal. By tending that story thoughtfully, we give both our gardens and the ecosystems around them a better chance to thrive. So this fall, as your yard fills with color and clutter, resist the urge for perfection. Rake a little, mulch a little, and leave a little.
