Field Notes

Seasonal Maintenance

What to do in your native garden through the year — season by season, and why timing matters.

01 · Winter

Prune and Plan — Gardening Doesn't End in Winter

Winter isn't the off-season for a native garden. What to leave standing, how to prune fruit trees and woody plants while they're dormant, and how to use the quiet months to plan — for Northeast Ohio.

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02 · Spring

Wait Before You Rake — A Slower, Smarter Spring Cleanup

Don't rush the spring cleanup. When to cut back (and why 50°F matters for frogs and bees), how to remove invasives before they leaf out, and how to move through a Northeast Ohio spring in the right order.

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03 · Summer

Let It Look Wild — Summer Care Without the Fuss

Summer care for a native garden in Northeast Ohio: deep watering for new plants, staying ahead of weeds, chop-and-drop, the Chelsea chop, and why letting it look a little wild is the point.

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04 · Fall

Leave the Leaves (and the Stems): The Easiest Thing You Can Do for Wildlife This Fall

Leave the leaves in most beds — and rake the excess off prairie plantings. Standing stems and leaf litter are winter habitat for frogs, salamanders, native bees, and birds. What to do (and not do) in a Northeast Ohio fall garden.

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