Amy McCullough writes:

“….Let’s assume you’ve wisely subscribed to the “leave the leaves” mantra—the recommendation to avoid excessive raking, pruning and tidying in fall and winter gardens. Leslie Uppinghouse, a lead horticulturist at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, Texas, says blowing or hauling away leaves and other good organic material—then buying mulch and compost the following spring—makes little sense. “Wildlife and soil need these materials and nutrients for winter food, shelter and nesting materials,” she notes.

…So what’s there to do once you’ve left all the leaves, stalks, seed heads and logs to do their thing?
Mary Phillips, head of Garden for Wildlife™ at NWF, says winter is an excellent time for assessment. Swap work boots for slippers and review the Federation’s Certified Wildlife Habitat® Checklist.

What steps can you take now to achieve certification in the coming year? Are you meeting the holy trinity of food, water and shelter for the bees, birds, butterflies and other wildlife you’d like to nurture? What sustainable practices can you commit to?

Even though we are well on our way to Spring here, read the whole article, get inspired, and go for it!
https://www.nwf.org/Home/Magazines/National-Wildlife/2024/Winter/Gardening/Winter-Garden