A favorite Fall past time for many of us, autumn leaves means weekends spent raking and playing in leaf piles before filling large garbage bags for Monday trash pickup. In some areas of the country, the aroma of fresh burn piles are beginning to fill the crisp autumn air.
Those of us living in cities that experience Fall—like Colorado Springs—have always dealt with Fall clean-up simply: rake, pile, and bag. This year though, we wanted to explore more creative and environmentally conscious ways to deal with the beautiful and colorful leaves our trees gift us. If falling leaves are taking over your yard—specially if you live in Downtown, The Old North End, Old Colorado City, or Manitou Springs—this post is for you.
Mulch
Have you ever bought mulch at Home Depot or the local gardening store? It’s expensive. Different kinds of mulch are also problematic for fungus and damaging the siding of your home, as well as plants in your yard. Leaf mulch is different though; in fact, some stores even sell organic leaf mulch from local Fall leaves. Why pay though when you can create your own? Follow basic instructions for collecting and preparing Fall leaves for mulch and save yourself some money on landscaping (this is a perfect way for sellers to save money while also improving curb appeal)!
Compost and Use in Your Garden
Fallen leaves have many uses that can benefit your garden. You can personally compost them or donate them to a local Colorado Springs landscaping company. Leaf mold—a crumbly, compost-like product leftover when leaves are left to decompose— is also excellent for your yard soil (it gives off a foresty, earthy smell!) Finally, leaves can also be used to insulate your plants in the winter. In Colorado Springs, this is especially important during our coldest months.
However you decide to use your Fall leaves this year, try to minimize the use of plastic garbage bags. There are so many wonderful ways to dispose of leaves, we hope these ideas will save you time, money, and improve your curb appeal!