By: Dianne Machesney, Master Gardener, Allegheny County: “Three-fourths of the world’s flowering plants and one-third of our food supplies depend on pollination. Pollinators need plants year-round. The succession of flowers throughout the seasons provide nectar, eggs are laid on host plants ensuring reproductive survival, plants and debris left in the garden serve as safe places for pollinators to overwinter. By planting a variety of native flowering species, and leaving them to stand in our winter gardens, we greatly add to the diversity and abundance of pollinators. ” Penn State Extension: https://extension.psu.edu/fall-garden-care-for-pollinators

By Justin Wheeler, Xercres Society: “One of the most valuable things you can do to support pollinators and other invertebrates is to provide them with the winter cover they need.” https://xerces.org/blog/leave-the-leaves