CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Every year as the temperatures drop across Northeast Ohio, well-meaning homeowners grab their shears and rakes for the annual ritual of the “total garden cleanup.”

Perhaps you’ve been doing the same. It seems responsible … right?

Not so fast.

According to local experts, this popular practice is a mistake that negatively impacts the local ecosystem.

“When gardens are cut back, they not only leave an aesthetic void but an ecological void as well,” said Marc Wise, founder and CEO of Native Landscapes and Gardens in Chagrin Falls.

“Homeowners are essentially throwing out the nursery along with the leaves. Beneficial insects that are the base of our food chain live year-round in and among leaves and garden stalks.”

The big question: Why should you care?

“Leaving native

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