Ah, fall. That magical time when we gather up all our leaves, pay someone to haul them away, and then buy them back in spring in the form of compost.

Stop the cycle.

My neighbor’s got a massive maple that carpets his yard with leaves. Every year he dutifully blows them into piles, packs them into his green bin, and has them hauled away. I told him if he would just pile them up, I’d come over with my wheelbarrow and haul them into my yard. He looked taken aback, probably thinking I was being charitable to an old man. Not so. This is strictly mercenary. I’ll mulch my roses and other beds with his leaves, create a large pile of future compost, and for fun, maybe even try tricking him into buying them back from me in the spring.

Advocating for leaves is surprisingly exhausting. People think I’m joking when I say the best thing you can do for your yard is nothing. And sure, there are limits. No one wants a slick sidewalk or dead spots in their lawn. But most yards aren’t being smothered, they’re being overmanaged.

When servicing a client’s yard for leaves, I blow them off the street and sidewalk to avoid slips. I remove them from grass, because yes, a heavy mat will kill it, but a light layer will feed it. I direct leaves into beds and around trees and shrubs. I clear them off of evergreens and avoid smothering groundcover, but I don’t get too precious about it. Leaves have been the natural ally of plants for upwards of dozens, if not millions, of years.

Even when spreading mulch, people can’t resist tidying first. Rake every leaf, weed every inch, make it look bare before covering it up again. Instead, use what’s already there. Keep the useful debris, toss the big sticks, and either layer mulch right on top or skip it entirely.

Here’s what that does:
• Feeds worms and builds the microbiome
• Provides nesting for beneficial critters
• Adds organic matter and nutrients as it breaks down
• Insulates roots through winter
• Extends the life of your mulch
• Cuts emissions (less blowing, no hauling, no trucks)
• Saves time and money, especially if you’re paying someone like me to do it

Here’s what it doesn’t do:
• Smother your yard in slime or summon an army of slugs
• Invite rats, snakes, or other unsavory creepers
• Ruin your curb appeal-leaves aren’t garbage
• Require gasoline, leaf bags, or other additional inputs

In other words, it does everything you want and nothing you fear.

If I had my druthers, we’d flip it. People would see lawns as the nuisance and leaves as the heroes. Seeing leaves as partners instead of problems would improve how we manage our individual habitats.

Maybe raking leaves is an irresistible annual ritual. Maybe it’s the way you get exercise or a sense of fulfillment. To me, the fun part is gathering the leaves into a big pile, the drag is stuffing them into bags and bins. So gather them up, jump in a few times, maybe invite the neighbor kids to join you and then…leave the leaves.