If you go for a walk on your land, you might notice a lot of wood that has fallen due to storms. The winds and snow shake out the dead.
Once you are snow- and ice-free, it is a great time on a sunny day to collect forest debris. Gets you outside, the sun on your head, and winter doesn’t feel as long.
Messy corners are needed in a healthy garden, and while it is easy if one has land (for us, we have a seasonal creek bed, and I let it sit mostly untouched, a wilding), if you live in the suburbs with a back yard, it may be very clean and sterile. You need to work against it – the conformity of sterile areas. You can let it look good, though! It doesn’t have to look unkempt.
At our previous land, we cleared our forests to make them more fire-safe from wildfires. But we always left areas that were wild for the animals. Here, at our new place, I am creating a wild place that didn’t exist before.
I came across a couple of images online in recent months that show how it works, in both a curated look and in a wild manner.
In this one, you will want to collect rotting branches and logs, make a pile, and cover it with thin branches. Surround it with native plants that flower and will grow above the pile. This type fits nicely into a corner, against a fence. Be sure it gets sun, however, and also stays well watered. If you can transplant some moss in as well, so much the better. Consider installing a dish on the ground (we use plant saucers; fill with rocks and change the water daily by quickly flooding with a hose). This will provide a protected water source for pollinators, without the risk of drowning.
If you have land with a forested area and a fallen tree, consider placing it on its side to create a home for many critters. Even if you don’t have a tree that falls over, you can always pick up big chunks of a fallen tree and install them.
You can always chip away at the tree’s interior to speed up the process. Consider putting it near a creek or lake if you have that feature. Plant native plants behind it to give shade and shelter. Those plants will also provide seeds for animals in the fall and winter.
As the tree decomposes, moss, lichens, and fungi may show up to speed up the process. especially if it is an Alder tree.
Forested areas should not be stripped of all forest debris; they need decay to be healthy.
This one really applies to my own land – when we bought the home, I noticed that there was a tree tipping about halfway over. I have followed it for the past 10 months and noted two obvious tunnel entrances – the groundhogs call it home. This tree sits above the creekbed, in a dry area. They have carved out a cozy home underground. Should the tree go over, it won’t hit anything but land. So I choose to let it be.
Yes, it is messy. It’s not visible from the road – not that I’d even care about that – it supports a diverse environment.
If you have a dead tree, and it won’t hit a house, shed, shop, power lines, or such – just let it be. You can always top the tree and leave the lower half as a snag. Owls love snags to rest on; they groom their feathers and keep an eye out for tasty treats on the forest floor.
And if neighbors call it messy, ask them why they hate nature so much – turn it around so they have to answer it.
~Sarah