Fall Leaves: Good for the Garden

By Jill Henderson

The clear, cool days of fall are perfect for wrapping up last-minute garden chores, such as winterizing perennial herbs, flowers and shrubs. It’s also a good time to cultivate (till) the garden or to create new beds for the spring garden. Fall is also the time of the annual leaf fall in the Ozarks. Many homeowners spend days trying to get rid of the deepening piles of leaves from their yards. But instead of raking and burning or bagging them for the garbage, consider putting fall leaves to use in the garden as a protective, nutrient-rich mulch.

I was reminded of the value of fall leaves as I spent the day digging garden beds at our new home. The only area available to us for gardening is made up of solid, greasy clay, which is wholly unsuitable for growing anything but rank weeds. As if that weren’t bad enough, our little garden spot is also on a slight slope. Every time it rains, what little topsoil that might have accumulated over time simply washes away. Because this isn’t our first time around gardening in the harsh clay soils of the Ozarks, Dean and I are more than familiar with the transformative wonders of fall leaves.

Read the entire article at Show Me Oz