UNLAWNING

Fall is here, which means that for reasons which are inscrutable to me, some people feel the need to spend a portion of their limited time on this mortal coil moving leaves from once place to another.

I can somewhat understand the aesthetic reasoning, but by leaving leaf litter in place you can not only save yourself some time and energy but also supply your garden with beneficial nutrients.

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Here’s a couple reasons why you should leave the leaves in your garden:

1) Seedheads provide winter food.

Many songbird species rely on high-calorie seeds for the winter, and they often forage for hibernating insects in leaf litter.

2) Leaf litter and leaf mould enriches the soil

No need for store-bought mulch! Leaves decompose over time, so if you can bear with how they look for a couple months, you’ll be rewarded with healthier plants in the spring.

3) Brush piles provide shelter for a wide variety of organisms.

Many insect species hibernate in leaf litter and hollow stalks. Some moths and butterfly species need leaf litter to complete their life cycles.

4) Leaf litter can help with weed suppression, meaning less work for you.

It also helps with moisture retention in the soil; crucial in a drought-prone area like southern Vancouver Island.

5) Leaf blowers are objectively annoying.

Their sound contributes to noise pollution and they waste energy (gas or electric) that we really don’t need to be using.

6) Turning leaves into solid waste contributes to greenhouse gas emissions.

Even when you dispose of leaves in a green bin, they end up in piles which don’t have enough oxygen to decompose well, causing a build-up of methane.

The EPA estimates that in the U.S. alone, discarded leaves account for a whopping 33 million tons of solid waste a year.

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Tips for winterizing your native garden

1) As you prune or rake up materials, create a brush pile in a corner to offer habitat for hibernating insects and other creatures.

2) Plant seeds that require cold stratification in the fall.

3) Make sure you leave areas with and without leaf mulch to create a variety of microhabitats in your garden beds.

4) Leave seed heads intact to feed birds through the winter.

5) If you have big leaves like maple or chestnut, they can suppress growth as they create a thick mat. You can rake these leaves into a bin and use an edge trimmer to chop them into smaller pieces, turning them into rich mulch to spread over your garden beds.