2026 March 21 Resisting Spring Cleanup
This is one of the hardest times of the year for me. I’m itching to get out and start “cleaning up” the garden for growing season. We’ve had a few warm days, false springs, followed by snow, followed by rain. I see some Phlox Phlox divaricata , Tall Thimbleweed Anemone virginiana , and Golden Alexander Zizia aurea popping through the leaf mulch. No. It’s not time yet. It won’t be time until late April, possibly May. I know it sounds crazy, but if we’re really in this for pollinators, they know to not hatch yet. Phlox divaricata Anemone Virginiana Zizia aurea Yesterday I came across a lovely patch of Dogbane Apocynum cannabinum on one of our work sites. A closer look revealed maybe 30 praying mantis oothecae in a ten foot radius of me! These were Chinese Mantis oothecae, which are considered to be invasive around here. Seeing these unhatched egg sacks tells me that the other insects are still waiting for warmer days too. We run a risk of killing off native insects if we di...
