In The Fall, “Lazy” Is Just Another Word For Superhero

You’re watching the leaves fall and you get that familiar itch (or is it panic) that draws you to your garage to grab the leaf blower and/or rake for a mad dash to your front lawn. The trees are denuding themselves and their naked shame is reflected in your yard. Oh, the humanity! Oh, the horror!

It’s windy and a little cold, so you grab your coat and steel yourself for the coming task. Blow, blow, blow, and rake, rake, rake, into big piles. You either bag the leaves or push them to the curb, thereby making the roads that much narrower and more difficult to navigate for the next few weeks. God help us if the snow comes before the city comes with their vacuum trucks to haul away that pile.

What do you get out of it? A sore back and a lawn that’s going to be covered in snow so that no one knows you bagged and raked.

Here’s what you should consider instead. Leave the leaves where they are. Seriously. Don’t do anything. If you have trees that deposit a particular thick layer (like my monster maples), feel free to mulch the leaves, but leave them alone. Save yourself the work and be an environmental superhero in the process.

How?

Consider . . . a layer of leaves over the winter makes for great fertilizer. It’s also a necessary protective layer for a whole…