Leave the Leaves

Start Here and All Else Will Follow

Fallen leaves…nature’s artful way to recycle.

 “The closer we live to the ground that we live from, the more we will know about our economic life; the more we know about our economic life, the more able we will be to take responsibility for it.”  -  Wendell Berry

Leaves are vital to our gardens and environment. They are a natural resource full of nutrients. It is amazing how much effort we put into getting rid of the one thing our soil needs!

Sugar Maple leaves at their most colorful

When leaves decompose they nourish and enrich the soil. They feed its microbes and organisms. Saving our leaves can reduce soil infertility and lessen our dependence on synthetic fertilizer.

In traditional cultures, fallen leaves were looked upon as a precious material. They did not stuff leaves in plastic bags and ship the bags away on trucks. (!)

Dogwood leaves upfront, maple leaves behind...

Why do we dislike leaves that have fallen to the ground? Manicured lawns and gardens should provide space for leaves to be stored and composted. We should mulch leaves, not banish them. Here are some ways you can do this:

• Chop them up using a lawnmower

• Shred them in a plastic garbage can with a weed wacker

• Buy a leaf shredder

• Use a leaf vacuum

• Jump on big piles of them (this is for us more than the leaves)

You can compost them in a pile or in a compost bin like this one from Greenes:

Check out Greens Fence Company

Letting leaves proceed through their natural decomposition cycle lessens unnecessary costs. Localization and sustainability begins with leaves.