This weekend, if it stops raining, I plan to do some raking. Collecting up fallen leaves is not always necessary. And of course it can often be beneficial to leave them where they fall, to rot down naturally and complete the natural cycle. However, I do collect up leaves from part of my garden each year to make a very useful ‘product’ for my gardening efforts: leaf mould.
I recently wrote a short article for Treehugger on How I Make Leaf Mold for my Garden.
And there is an older but longer article of mine on Rural Sprout about How To Make Leaf Mold.
The forecast says that we should have clear weather and some sun tomorrow, so I should be able to get out in the garden before we continue with our barn renovations. I will be collecting up leaves to place in my leaf bin, and using some partially broken down leaves from last year to mulch around some garlic recently planted.
Many people think of raking leaves as a chore. But for me, collecting up the leaves is an enjoyable task, because it is an excuse to get out under the trees. It reminds me of the wonders of nature, and how the cycles keep on turning, and allows me to spend some time with these amazing ecosystem engineers.
EWSP Consultancy 