Why do we invest so much time and money in raking leaves? The truth is that there is more goodness in fallen leaves than we give them credit for. Often we look at leaves in as "waste" when, in fact, they are a resource that is rich in carbon that can add much nutrition to your garden soil.

Rake the leaves off of your lawn, where they can cause it to go brown, and onto your garden. Hose them down if they are dry so that they don't blow away and let them rot there over winter. The worms in your garden will come up, pull them down and convert the leaves into nitrogen-rich earth worm compost.

I believe that each large paper bag full of compacted leaves that we put out to the end of the driveway costs us about $2 to $3 per bag. The costs add up. There's the cost of bags, tools, time and the effort of putting leaves in the bag. There's also the replacement cost for all of that natural goodness that you just threw out. For that alone you'll bear the extra costs of bags of triple mix and top soil when you put in your garden next spring.

I rest my case.

www.markcullen.com