Fall leavers – Natural areas and islands

Q: Tell me about keeping fall leaves in natural areas and islands from year to year. It is my opinion that the leaves enrich the soil, provide a good mulch and look almost as good as pine straw. Others argue that the wind will blow the leaves back on the lawn. I think the leaves will pack down after a good rain and will be almost as attractive as pine straw.

A: It’s true that leaves decompose and enrich the soil. They are wasted when you let the garbage man tote them off. But it’s also true that they can blow around in a strong wind. Why not rake the leaves onto areas around trees and then cover with a thin layer of pine bark chips to keep them in place?