By Bob Root, UUCF’s Act for Climate Today! (ACT!).It’s only early fall, but already, many flowers are gone, or at least fading. What usually gets left are seeds, stalks, and a lot of dying leaves. The seeds can feed animals (especially birds) through the fall and early winter and may produce new plants in the spring. The leaves decompose back into the soil. But the stalks (especially hollow ones) can provide shelter for insect larvae through the winter, providing food for birds and other animals as spring arrives. So, please consider leaving the stalks in place, if you can, or cut them and move them to another location in your yard and set upright with stakes to enable easier access by wildlife. For more information about the 5-star accommodations our gardens can provide check out this article from Plant NOVA Natives.