Fall Green Guide: Do LESS!
Learn (and Do)
Do Less Garden Clean Up!
September is a perfect time to talk about fall garden cleanup — and why doing less can actually be better for your yard and local wildlife. Think about this process as putting your garden to sleep with a cozy blanket of leaves, not as a ‘clean-up’ where everything goes! Do less to do more!
Leave the leaves
Instead of bagging every leaf, let some stay in garden beds and under trees and shrubs. This blanket of leaves will protect soil, add some nutrients and provide habitat for insects. It also provides a ‘soft landing’ for any caterpillars in the trees and shrubs above. The fireflies you love in the spring have laid their eggs directly in or just below the surface of soil and leaf litter. To clean up too much means losing some of your spring’s twinkle. This is also why you shouldn’t run those leaves through your mulching mower. Mow-mageddon!
Resist the urge to cut everything down
Many insects overwinter in stems and leaf litter. You can always tidy things up in the spring when the weather warms and pollinators are active again.
Leave the seed heads
Native plants such as coneflowers provide food for birds and habitat for insects through fall and winter. September is also a good time to collect seeds from many native plants. Plus, those seed heads covered in frost can be pretty spectacular.
Save and swap those seeds!
Bring in your seeds for the Glen Ellyn Public Library Seed Donation Drive for the chance to win a basket, and attend the seed saving event on September 27.
Plant NEW natives
Fall is also a terrific planting season. You can get a seasons growth before spring by adding some native plants while the soil is still warm, and you don’t have to water or worry as much about leaf burn/acclimation. Plus, you can often find natives on sale!
Do Less New Stuff Acquisition (and get rid of your old stuff!)
Fall is sweater weather (my fave!) and usually means it’s time to reorganize your closet. Rather than just out with the old and in with the new, why not out with the old and in with the old…er vintage or thrifted? And then recycle or donate what is no longer used. Here are some opportunities to donate, recycle and to shop!
Friends of the Glen Ellyn Public Library Used Book Sales. Looking for your next great read? Check out the Friends' used book sale. On Sunday, books are available for $10 a bag.
Community Rummage Sale This is a great example of the circular economy in action. Thousands of donated items find new homes through the annual Community Rummage Sale rather than heading to the landfill. The sale also supports local youth groups and community organizations. Bring your reusable shopping bags and see what treasures you can find! And if you've got things sitting around the house that you no longer need, consider donating them rather than tossing.
Resale event at DuPage County Fairgrounds 9/18-19 (see notice below!)
Recycle! Properly Recycle all the things that don't belong in your regular recycling cart like paint, old bikes, textiles, medications, electronics, etc. by checking out the Go Green GE Recycling Guide.
Go Green’s Sport Swap is March 21, 2027 so save the date and save your gently used sporting equipment!
Of course, you can always donate or shop at some of these local favorites!
Treasure House Resale Shop Glen Ellyn
Gather & Collect -Glen Ellyn (no donations, but some curated thrifts!)
Stars Resale Shop Wheaton
Purple Manatee Resale Shop Lombard
Do Less Indoor Fretting and Head Outside!
Grab a friend, your dog or just yourself and explore Churchill Woods, Churchill Park, COD's Kirt Prairie or Lake Ellyn this fall. The Glen Ellyn Park District has a longer list of recommended walks where you will definitely find some fall color among Glen Ellyn’s beautiful tree canopy. Take your time. Look for migrating birds. Notice which plants are still blooming and what trees are changing. Sometimes the best way to appreciate our village and forget about the troubles of the world for awhile, is to head outdoors and take a deep breath (or two!)
Park District Bird watching. Join PD expert birder Chris every Thursday morning at various parks in Glen Ellyn to watch for birds during the fall migration.
Park District Walking Club. Our friend Laurie is headed to Churchill Park Oct 9 and Danada on November 13.
OAKtoberfest! October 10, 3-7 pm, Our favorite fall fest is back and better than ever! It's been moved to Lake Ellyn and will benefit the Parks Foundation. Join us!
Ackerman Tree Planting. Oct. 16, 9 am - Noon at Ackerman Woods.
Smell that crisp smell of autumn and enjoy this very fleeting time of year!