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Patty Carluccio

Leave The Leaves - How To Embrace Being Lazy In Your Fall Garden

Fall Gardening is easy. Less is more. "Leave the leaves" is my motto which I know many people share.


I am constantly experimenting with ways to simplify my gardening efforts and using fall leaves to improve my soil is one of the best things I’ve done over the years. I have always felt it was silly to rake leaves, bag them then have them trucked away. I’m also tired of lugging everything to a huge mulch pile that just becomes overwhelming to deal with. By being lazy in my fall garden my soil has improved from a crummy light brown to gorgeous black with tons of worms and I have a lot less work to do. I fertilize for free.


My laziness is good for nature!


Now I look at the falling leaves as blankets which protect my plants over the winter and provide little homes for the beneficial insects and bees that “hibernate” in them. I leave it all alone until Mid-May when everything warms up and I see bugs flying around. Then I know my garden has truly woken up and the gardens are ready to be tended to.


I also blow the leaves on my grass into my garden beds instead of bagging. When the leaves are thick I also have been known to mow the leaves into my mower bag and then distribute them over my garden. It’s easier than raking and the chopped up leaves will decompose very quickly.


I also leave the plants as they are. Beneficial insects and bees burrow in the hollow stems for the winter. Birds will eat the seeds and visit you all winter.

Less is more in the fall garden. Enjoy the crisp air, go for a walk, and enjoy mother nature doing the work for you.


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