Protect our pollinators: hold off on spring cleaning your garden

March 18, 2022| Environment

By: Lake Hopatcong Foundation

These early spring-like days inspire us to get outside and many of us are eyeing our yards and gardens, itching to give them a spring cleaning. But knowing when and how to start spring cleaning your garden is important for the health of your local ecosystem as many pollinators overwinter in the dead material you may want to remove. By waiting to do yard and garden cleanup, and by doing it right, you will be saving many bees and butterflies.

The folks from gardeningknowhow.com have taken the guesswork out of protecting our pollinators with the following rule of thumb: wait until temperatures are consistently about 50 degrees F. to help protect habitat in the spring and ensure you have a robust and healthy pollinator population and overall garden ecosystem. Find out more about spring garden cleanup with their article, Spring Cleanup Time: When To Start Spring Garden Cleaning.

And while you're eagerly planning what you want to plant as the weather warms, mark your calendars for our annual native plant sale! Online ordering for our 2022 sale will be available from April 28 through May 5. Pickup for online purchases, as well as an in-person sale for remaining plants, will take place on Saturday, May 7, from 9 am to noon, at the Lake Hopatcong Foundation Environmental & Cultural Center, 125 Landing Road, Landing.

Jersey-Friendly Yards has numerous resources, like their Plant Database and Interactive Yard tool, to help you find the perfect native plants for your yard or garden and learn about the basic concepts behind transforming your yard into a Jersey-Friendly Yard.

Happy spring and happy garden planning!