“It is not every one,” said Elinor, “who has your passion for dead leaves.”
“Oh,” cried Marianne, “… How have I delighted, as I walked, to see them driven in showers about me by the wind! … They are seen only as a nuisance, swept hastily off, and driven as much as possible from the sight. … No; my feelings are not often shared, not often understood.”
Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen (1811)
Rugby players and rugby watchers were gathering in the park behind our house. I’d had my eye on the leaves out there, lying on the grass below the horse chestnuts and copper beech trees. I wanted them for my garden. It was a perfect Sunday afternoon, sunny and cold. I headed out with a rake and a small blue tarp. I hoped I’d hardly be noticed, over at the side, quietly raking leaves onto the tarp, then pulling the tarp into the yard.
I wasn’t invisible though, and a man in a puffy red jacket approached. “Excuse me, ma’am. Can I ask you a question?” He was a young dad, with two lightly freckled girls with beaded braids, probably about 8 and 10 years old, trailing behind. He had a chunky, I-used-to-play-rugby build.
He was baffled. “Most people remove leaves from their yards, but you’re taking them into your yard.” It was a statement, implying a question. I asked the girls if they knew why. I hoped they might have learned something about it at school, about conservation and ecosystems. I hoped they would jump in to explain it to their dad. But they didn’t speak, shrugging and shrinking behind him, in the manner of children not used to talking with adults.
Turning back to their dad, I wanted to capture in just a few words, why. I was thrilled to be asked the question. Even if that dad didn’t change his leaf-removing behavior, maybe his girls would do something different when they were older.
The good reasons for collecting the leaves from the park seemed so obvious and numerous though that I was tongue-tied. First, you can use them as mulch over the winter. A thick layer of leaves will discourage weeds, and those that persist in trying will be long, white, and spindly, and easy to pull from the soft earth beneath the leaves.
Worms and other organisms living under the leaf layer convert leaves into soil enriching humus, raising the organic matter content of the soil, moderating the soil pH, and improving the soil structure, making it softer and more water retentive, all of which is good for gardens.
And on top of suppressing weeds and improving soil structure, leaves are excellent fertilizer. Trees are pumps, pumping water from the ground into their branches and leaves all season long. Also, from deep down in the ground, they bring up mineral nutrients needed for growing and functioning. Then, in fall, the leaves drop to the ground and as they break down those mineral nutrients are taken up again by new plant growth.
Every year I’m astounded at the quantities of leaves discarded by homeowners who put out piles for the town to remove. Do those same homeowners buy mulch? Do they buy fertilizer in spring? If I could magically take their leaves to my yard I would put them to good use.
A garden bed blanketed with fallen leaves is quite beautiful. An even layer of brown or red leaves transforms an untidy fall garden into an organized-looking garden, ready for winter.
With all these thoughts swirling in my head I struggled to find just a few words to answer his quick question. Embarrassed by my lack of eloquence, I said simply “they’re really good for the garden.”