Annual Fall Maintenance Activities in the Native Wildlife Garden
• Cut back Aster novae angliaea, (New England asters)
• Cut back Babtisia australis (false indigo)
• Cut back Actaea racemosa (snake root
• Cut back Eupatorium (Joe Pye weed)
• Cut back Boltonia (doll’s daisy)
• Cut back Rudbeckia (black-eyed Susan)
• Cut back Thalictrum (meadow rue)
• Cut back cattails and growth in the pond
• Remove any Cercis (redbud) seedlings
• Leave Amsonia, Echinacea and Vernonia up so birds can feed on seed
• Leave Asclepais (butterfly and milk weed) to host monarch larvae and spread seeds
• Pull Parthenocissus (Virginia creeper) vines that have spread along the ground
• Pull Campsis (trumpetvine) vines that have reached the roof
• Weed beds of clover, vetch and grasses
• Pull weeds along stone edging
• Rake path
• Haul debris to compost at edge of school yard
• Sweep courtyard
Annual Spring Maintenance Activities
• Cut back any herbaceous perennials left up in fall
• Pull spring weeds that have sprouted
• Dig up and pot any seedling volunteers from perennials
• Dig and pot any shoots/suckers from shrubs to keep shrubs in bounds
• Prune trees if needed
• Apply mulch to the beds
• Rake path
• Haul debris to compost at edge of the school yard
• Sweep courtyard
• Consider a plant sale/giveaway to spread native plants throughout the community
• Cut back Aster novae angliaea, (New England asters)
• Cut back Babtisia australis (false indigo)
• Cut back Actaea racemosa (snake root
• Cut back Eupatorium (Joe Pye weed)
• Cut back Boltonia (doll’s daisy)
• Cut back Rudbeckia (black-eyed Susan)
• Cut back Thalictrum (meadow rue)
• Cut back cattails and growth in the pond
• Remove any Cercis (redbud) seedlings
• Leave Amsonia, Echinacea and Vernonia up so birds can feed on seed
• Leave Asclepais (butterfly and milk weed) to host monarch larvae and spread seeds
• Pull Parthenocissus (Virginia creeper) vines that have spread along the ground
• Pull Campsis (trumpetvine) vines that have reached the roof
• Weed beds of clover, vetch and grasses
• Pull weeds along stone edging
• Rake path
• Haul debris to compost at edge of school yard
• Sweep courtyard
Annual Spring Maintenance Activities
• Cut back any herbaceous perennials left up in fall
• Pull spring weeds that have sprouted
• Dig up and pot any seedling volunteers from perennials
• Dig and pot any shoots/suckers from shrubs to keep shrubs in bounds
• Prune trees if needed
• Apply mulch to the beds
• Rake path
• Haul debris to compost at edge of the school yard
• Sweep courtyard
• Consider a plant sale/giveaway to spread native plants throughout the community