3 Ingenious Ways to Take Care of Fall Leaves

One of the most famous symbols of fall is the color changing leaves on trees as they prepare to descend for winter time. If you have these trees in your yard, the beauty of those red, yellow and orange hues will make you want to grab a pumpkin spice latte and get out the autumn decor in no time.

But, there’s a downside. What happens when all of these pretty little leaves fall to the ground? You’ve got a heap of yard work to do and let’s be real, who here likes raking?

Luckily, we’ve got some tried and true methods to make leaf pick-up fast and easy. Here are our 3 hacks to clearing your garden.

The mulch up

You can turn those fallen leaves into homemade mulch for your other plants. Just be sure to strategically construct your beds near trees that shed in the fall. Once the leaves hit the ground, all you have to do is run your lawn mower over them and then rake them into the plant beds. Boom- instant mulch and no wasting plastic bags.

Do you really need to collect them?

If you’re all for promoting the many ecosystems that can arise with a garden, then know that a layer of fallen leaves has its benefits for many backyard critters. Salamanders, chipmunks and other garden friendly insects such as earthworms use these leaves for food and warmth during the cold winter months. Maybe you won’t want to rake them up after all!

Turn leaves into fall decor for your garden

Here’s an idea! Once you rake up your leaves, you can purchase leaf bags that are geared towards Halloween. There are products that, when filled with leaves, takes on the shape of a pumpkin with a jack-o-lantern face painted on the front. You could even turn this into a DIY project if you desire, by making your own bags with designs.