Soon it will be that time again when leaves begin to rain down from the trees. Leaves of red, brown, and gold will carpet the ground and even the streets, to be washed into storm drains or raked into piles to be discarded. This unconscionable practice of sending leaves off to a landfill, or even to a municipal compost pile, is one of the dumbest things human beings have ever devised.
If you store your leaves in a bin, within two years or less, they will transform into rich, organic soil. However; the leaves that hold all of the nutrients needed by your plants and trees are needlessly sent away; while your plants are doused with chemical fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides. Since the beginning of time, Mother Nature has left her leaves to lie, to nurture the next generation of plants and insects. As the layers of leaves build up, the lower layers are broken down by decomposers, returning to the soil the nutrients that were taken by the growing plants. The newly fallen leaves provide protection for overwintering insects and their eggs. The thick layers provide warmth for the plant roots, preventing them from freezing and preventing the soil from heaving. The blanket of leaves shields them from the drying winter winds. They hold moisture so that the plants do not dry out during extended dry periods, when there is no rain or snow.
When I drive through the neighborhood, I see bright green lawns devoid of all leaf litter. Many of the trees are sadly miss-shapen with dead and broken branches that expose their struggle to survive. The soil beneath them lies bare and is often overtaken by weeds.The soil is depleted and unable to hold water. The water simply runs right through it and the trees continue to suffer from drought. Many of the trees and shrubs have damage from string trimmers and over-spray from herbicides as well.
Most of the shrubs in my yard have been dying, from long before I moved here about a year ago. The years of neglect can be seen in the decaying branches and in the lifeless soil. I have been spreading dead foliage from the garden around the weary plants. Once the leaves begin to fall, I will add them around the shrubs’ perimeters. It may be too late to save the shrubs in this yard, but hopefully my words will encourage others to retain the leaves that fall in their yards. Leaf litter is like gold. It is the most valuable thing on your property. What’s more, it is free. It does not have to be transported in plastic bags or bottles, adding to our already gigantic foot prints. We do not need to spend our hard earned money on manufactured fertilizers or Miracle GroⓇ products. Nature has already provided all that is needed. We need to accept her gifts with thanksgiving – not discard them out of ignorance and our distorted ideas about what is aesthetically pleasing.
