6 ways to put fallen leaves to work in your garden
From a deep purplish red to vivid golden yellow, the gradual poetic-like fall of leaves to the ground, the gratifying crunch underfoot, and the calming rustling sound as the wind blows is a welcome change in the garden come autumn.
While a few leaves won't cause any problems, hazardous, slippery wet leaves and subsequent blocked drains and gutters can be a nuisance and cause a real headache. But there are many ways that you can actually put your fallen leaves to good use. Here are six ideas to get you started.
1. Help wildlife for free (and your trees and garden shrubbery will benefit too)
'Fallen leaves are such an important and free ingredient in helping to create and maintain habitats which benefit garden birds and wildlife more generally,' says Lucy Taylor, general manager of Vine House Farm. 'As leaves decompose below hedges, shrubs and trees, they enrich the soil which in turn provides nutrients which the roots take in. This then improves the health and growth rate of the tree, hedging or shrub, and therefore benefits birds because of better nesting and roosting habitat, plus more fruit and berries for food come the autumn.'
You can also create a deep pile of leaves in the corner of your garden (where they won't blow about) to provide a habitat for hedgehogs to hibernate in, plus frogs and toads.
2. Help your lawn
When leaves fall onto your lawn, set your rotary lawnmower on its highest cutting height and mower over them. This will shred the leaves into small pieces, enabling them to break down into the lawn. This makes a great soil conditioner and helps the soil to retain moisture and remain healthy throughout the winter.
3. Make compost
Convert the leaves into leaf mould (composted leaves). Fallen autumn leaves are a great source of brown material for your compost bin. By ensuring they are moist but not wet, mixed with green material, and turned once a month to allow oxygen to circulate, they will eventually break down into a thick black compost, which is rocket fuel for your plants, flowers and lawn. The Royal Horticultural Society say you can get the best quality leaf mould from the leaves of oak, beech or hornbeam.
4. Leaf mulch
Gather a substantial number of fallen leaves to use as mulch. First collect them and shred using a rotary mower. Once you've shredded the leaves, place them around your plants and flowerbeds — two or three inches thick, avoiding the stem.
Leaf mulch has a number of great benefits; not only does it break down into a great soil conditioner, but it will act as insulation for plants and vegetables and protect useful animals like worms from prey. It's also a useful weed barrier, helping to stop them from growing.
5. DIY wreath
'A wreath doesn’t just have to be for Christmas – it also makes a great addition to your door during autumn,' says Nick Drewe, trend expert at Wethrift. 'If you want to get creative, creating a wreath from scratch can also be a fun-filled activity that can be done by gathering a variety of foliage on your next autumnal walk.
'For an autumn-inspired wreath, utilise dried grasses, wheat, dried flowers, pine cones, and dried berries. Fallen leaves and dried-out flowers are a great way to add some additional colour and bring the autumnal cheer to your front door.'
6. Insulation
Collect as many leaves as you can, dry them out and bag them up. Pack as many as you can tightly together and store them in cold areas, like the garden shed. These bags of leaves will act like insulation in helping to keep your space warm during winter.
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