What do You Do With Autumn Fallen Leaves?.

We have several trees that shed their leaves in late Autumn. 


We get a beautiful carpet of glorious golds, bronzes, reds and bronze on the grass and gravel. It's gorgeous...


It is so lovely it is tempting to leave it there but for some at least we have a good use for it. 


We used to just rake them all up and put in the bin for the council to take away. However, we have since discovered a few better uses in our own garden to help us and the wildlife. 
 

We take some of the leaves and use them to cover our little wild mammal shelter. It is really just a collection of logs and sticks leftover from prunings in a corner of the garden but I like to think it gives some shelter from the wind and cold and rain for the little mammals and the hedgehogs if we are lucky. So the leaves go on top for some added warmth. We add a few more sticks on top of that to keep them somewhat in place.


OK, some of the leaves we put in the borders. There they provide a little shelter for tiny creatures in the winter. Of course, usually blackbirds come along and as is their way ruck up the leaves to find dinner beneath so the leaves benefit them too.


We also leave piles of leaves in corners so that if any creature wishes to use them as bedding or a warm place they have some available.  

Finally to us. We scoop up all the remaining leaves and bag them up in strong garden bags and seal them securely. Then pick a few holes in the sides and bottom of the bag for air circulation. If the leaves are dry we add water just with the hosepipe or watering can before sealing up. 


Then we put them somewhere out of the way and simply leave them. The idea is that the leaves will rot down and by next year will be lovely useable leaf mould. 


This saves us money and puts the leaves to good use all over the garden, some for the wildlife and some for us. Not at all bad for an hour's work and a totally free resource given very year by nature.


In addition, if you have children or grandchildren it is wonderful to collect the autumn leaves and use them to teach kids about the different leaf shapes and colours and types of trees. 


As a child, I used to run in the leaves then collect them to press and learn about trees. It was so much fun!  



If you love the colours of autumn you may enjoy these items below.

Red Fallen Autumn Leaves Notepad Notebook by RaintreeDesigns
More Autumn leaves Notebooks

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Red Fallen Autumn Leaves Mousepad by RaintreeDesigns
Create own mousepad on zazzle.

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What do you do with your garden leaves? If you have any other uses do let us know


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As The Leaves Fall...

So we have now in mid-October reached Autumn or Fall. 

I cannot believe how fast this year has progressed. I do love the month of October though as we lose the occasionally fierce heat of summer and cooler weather gently or not so gently sometimes takes over.  

We have had a beautiful warm and sunny summer and a fairly mild September and just now we feel the hint of autumn's influence upon the garden.

I can look out now and see the once-green trees turning into the reds and golds and bronze colours so typical of this time of year. I love these autumnal colours, they are the most wonderful, rich and interesting for the year and so beautiful. All the more so as we know they will not be here very long before winter takes a hold of the landscape. 

The winds are starting to grow stronger now and the trees bow majestically to their great force. The ones that are flexible and gracefully moving with the wind, the survivors in this. Sadly the rigid that brace against the wind, often succumb to its force at this time of year, snapping off the great branches. 

Big leaves start to fall to the ground making a colourful carpet of crunchy, rustling underfoot of a beautiful carpet of colour.

In the high winds some all bunch together and rise high in the air dancing a whirling quickstep, until they fall clustered together. 

The sound these leaves make is a wonderful orchestra of rustling magic.

 I never tire of walking through leaves... 

From a very young child, I would walk through the leaves with my parents, looking at the colours and feeling the stems and leave patterns, learning about nature. It was a special time I now treasure so much. 

Nights are drawing in now and there is no more gardening after dinner. Time to savor what we can during the daytime when I am here. 

Do you love the Autumn or Fall leaves?