Rethinking Fall Gardening & Cleanup with Master Gardener Adam Barkafski

Raking out flower beds, cutting back stems, and cleaning out all the way down to the mulch often feels therapeutic after a long, hot summer. When we’re finished, the garden looks tidy, and everything is back in its place. However, the stems, sticks, and leaves that we have taken away are vital to the lifecycle of many of the insects and wildlife that we want our gardens to attract. Understanding this can help you approach fall gardening in new ways and adopt different practices that can have positive effects on the health and survival of pollinators, wildlife, and even the soil itself.

Adam Barkafski is a Penn State Extension Master Gardener in Lancaster County since 2018. A web designer and former public school teacher, Adam is a home gardener by hobby. His gardening interests began with perennials and later focused on native plants. Adam now gardens with an intention to create and preserve pollinator and wildlife habitat, and observing pollinators interacting with plants are some of his greatest gardening joys.

Registration is required.