Go Play in the Leaves
Autumn is a beautiful time in Virginia! The mountains and backroads are inviting and colorful during leaf-peeping season. But you might be less enthusiastic about the leaves that fall in your yard, but there can be a fun and rewarding side to leaf season. Leaving some of the leaves is beneficial for your backyard habitat, and playing with leaves can be good exercise for you, your kids, and pets.
There are so many advantages to leaving leaves in place, and experts are encouraging you to learn why and adopt the habit. Leaves around flower beds, around trees, and at edges or lesser used areas of your yard to provide shelter and food for many of nature’s smallest, coolest, and very valuable insects, worms, and other critters. I had never met a marbled salamander until last fall when I was scooping up leaves to add to a flower bed. A tiny box turtle was also revealed in the process. I believe I tucked them in nicely for the winter.
Most of all, leaves shouldn’t be treated as trash. Don’t send them to the landfill! A mulching mower will turn leaves into nutrients for your lawn, preparing it to be stronger in the Spring. Standard mowers also chew up the leaves, and can be a great way to keep ahead of a thick mat of leaves on your lawn.
You may know that spreading mulch around trees to reduce weeds, prevents water loss from the soil, protects the roots from winter damage, and reduces soil erosion. But mulch doesn’t have to mean the chopped bark that comes in plastic bags that you drive to the store to get – in fall, mulch is delivered directly to your back yard in the form of leaves. They’re an excellent source of mulch, and they’re free!
If you’re thinking ahead of a vegetable or flower garden for next year, one of the easiest ways to prepare the soil is to lay down sheets of flattened cardboard, and cover them with leaves. If you still mow the grass another time or two, alternate layers of the grass clippings and leaves on top of the cardboard. It will “cook” down over the winter, providing you with a rich soil as a start to your garden.
Leaves can also be a fun activity for play! Collect different shapes of dry leaves, spread Autumn colors of paint on the back, and press them onto paper to create beautiful pictures. Hide a ball or stick in a small pile of leaves, and let your dog search for it! Or play leaf catch competition with little ones to catch a leaf before it lands on the ground.
Leaves will provide can be so much for than just a chore this year. They’ll benefit wildlife, your garden beds for next season, and mostly time to play in the great outdoors of Virginia!
