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economist sunsuntribune diversions saturday nov 29 2003 17 garden left in natural state yields benefits from page 15 autumn the better it is for the plants but the point of a garden is to be attractive after all so gar deners feel compelled to tidy yet again it is being discov ered or perhaps rediscovered the immense wisdom of natures cycles offers the best guidance for gardeners successful gardening is about learning to work with nature cycles and events not trying to dominate them leaving debris on the garden over the winter may be a hiding spot for diseases and pests but it is also the nurturing environ ment for friendly bacteria and beneficial insects old stems protect young buds from frost damage and seed heads attract birds who contribute droppings and forag ing activity to contribute to soil structure and pest control as more becomes known about plant and soil structure opinions on our traditional rou tine of cleaning away autumn debris have changed it is now recognized the battle waged between good and evil in the garden stays in a fair balance if we dont interfere too much the more you can leave in place and still feel proud of how it looks the better as with many things in life its about compro mise this year instead of cutting and cleaning down to bare soil remove only what is really unsightly or diseased and leave at least a few inches of old flower stem powdery mildew or apple scab are examples of spore- borne diseases that stay in soil overwinter burn or trash this debris dont compost the benefits of leaving your garden in a more natural state for the winter are numerous old flower stems hold seeds above the snow where birds can find them frost damaged stem fibres disintegrate at the base by spring making them easy to just tug away for cleanup stems left standing and foliage flopped to the ground act as a mulch pro tecting plants from frost heave by evening out extreme winter temperature fluctuations the ground wont freeze as deeply as it otherwise would which means it will thaw quicker in spring bringing plants into an earlier growth period seed heads such as the almostblack coneflower or the lovely plumes of ornamental grasses look gorgeous poking up through the snow the flat heads of yarrow and sedum collect little poofs of snow and contribute to a charm ing winter scene in very early spring when the view everywhere is still brown and dull take a peek under the layer of debris in your garden and enjoy the sight of fresh green growth that is already emerging at this point especially the benefits of your new relaxed atti tude toward garden neatness will be the most evident the excruci atingly long wait is almost over evelyn wolf is a local gardening expert and owner of garden possabilities bookstore on main street she can be reached atnewsroomerabannercom whats holiday sunday brunches every sunday tis the season to bring your family and friends to angus glen for a traditional christmas sunday brunch 1130am 230pm adults 20 children 1395 kids under 5 are free bpeakfasb uiigh sanba december 14th fmfflw join in the reindeer fun enjoy breakfast with santa while singing along to favorite holiday carols 20 per person annual prosliop blowout 1 065 off open 7 days a week holiday luncheons q f treat your family friends and colleagues to a festive lunches in a perfect holiday setting 1130 am 230pm menus start at 1795 new years eve party las vegas style 5 course gourmet experience followed bylivedj in the great hall 150 per person reservations only or join the party at 9 pm 100 per person includes beverages live banddj champagne at midnight 6 0 l f c i u i n 005 887 0090 1x1 7fifi correction notice to our valued customers we regret to inform you that due to a manufacturers delay the miniature digital camera 000023 advertised on the front cover of our holiday gift flyer is currently unavailable we apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused to our rained customers we apologize for any inconvenience caused 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