Spring is in the air – the birds are chirping, the bees are buzzing, and the frogs are croaking. The crocus and daffodils have popped their heads out of the ground and are in bloom. All this awakening spurs us to head into our gardens and clear out our flower beds of all the dead ornamental grass stalks, last year’s perennial stems, and the autumn leaves. But underneath this protective cover are a lot of insects, including pollinators, who still need the protection when the temperatures drop. It is best to wait for at least 7 days of temperatures consistently 50 degrees or higher before you remove the protective cover. And once it is safe for the insects, carefully prune back the old perennials and rake out any unwanted leaves.
Media Borough’s Environmental Advisory Council strongly recommends not using a gas-powered leaf blower as they pose serious risks to the ecology, our air quality and health risks, including hearing damage and heart and respiratory disease to both you and your neighbors. Operating a gas-powered leaf blower for 1 hour emits as many hydrocarbons as driving 15 cars around your neighborhood for an hour!
Remember also that if you hire landscapers, you can ask them to use rakes instead of leaf blowers. If they say they can’t make the change, there are plenty of others who will. Please protect yourself, your neighbors, and the environment while you prepare your garden for the spring.
