Ready to retire your fall decorations? Don't let your pumpkins and straw bales end up as trash. They can still nourish your garden and local wildlife.
Here are some sustainable fall clean-up tips that are kind to your environment.
Pumpkin Power
Those unpainted, unvarnished gourds are valuable! Think creatively about ways to reuse your jack-o-lanterns after Halloween.
- Feed Wildlife: Cut up candle-free pumpkins and leave them in your yard for squirrels and deer. It's a healthy snack!
- Dog Treats: Roast and mash the flesh of uncarved pumpkins into a puree (plain, no spices!) for a nutritious dog food mix or treat ingredient.
- Compost: Break down the scraps and add them to your compost pile for rich spring soil.
The Magic of Mulch
Those festive and decorative straw bales make great garden amendments!
- Insulate Beds: Spread the straw over your perennial garden beds. It acts as a natural mulch, protecting roots from the cold and suppressing next year's weeds.
- Compost Booster: Add straw to your compost bin for essential "brown" material to enrich your soil.
Keep your fall cleanup green! Follow these tips to keep organic materials out of the landfills and away from garbage incinerators.
