Leaf Mulch

Some of you may know that for years I have run a little landscaping business (yes, I am for hire). Mostly now I just do cleanups and small installations, but I have been known to do major jobs. Obviously, my work is steeped in recycling and compost use. This Monday one of my long time customers asked me: "Can you take these leaves away and bring me some mulch?" I was speechless (but only for a moment).


I explained that the falling leaves were in fact nature's way of providing a mulch.That the leaves contained nutrients and trace minerals that the trees had absorbed all summer from the soil. That if left to blanket the soil around the tree's drip line, they would insulate the soil and roots, then slowly decompose. That that decomposition would then return the nutrients and minerals back to the root zone of the plant for re-use.

She was a little shocked that one didn't need to buy a mulch to effectively protect the soil and roots around a tree. Appearance was an issue so we agreed to leave the leaves in place and cover them with a thinner layer of Pecan Shells. Problem solved, for now.

But I was intrigued by the notion that in order to garden well, one had to spend money. Or more broadly, that landscaping is some process designed and schemed by some entity out there that knows better than nature does. I run into this frequently at Soilutions when people want to: put wood ashes on their NM lawn, blend compost with Peat Moss, use weed barrier, direct rainwater off the property and use sprinklers, grow blueberries in Albuquerque, or put a "dry river bed" from no-where-near a downspout to no-where-near a plant.

I run into this all the time in my own business, as well. I feel that people should take care of there own waste. Basically, if you make a mess, clean it up. In landscape terms, that means, to me , that if you have a lawn, YOU mow it, YOU be responsible for knowing how to care for it, etc. If you have a tree, YOU deal with the leaves when they fall. It's my version of what's "wrong with the world", like over-population, living beyond one's credit means or whatever the catch phrase of the day is. I think a personal responsibility to our immediate environment would engender more sensible landscapes, produce less waste, and create a more diverse and thus more personable urban environment. Obviously though, there are plenty of reasons to hire help for some of your landscape needs.

But if we all take a stab at managing our own property, just think of the possibilities. I find my mind stimulated when trying to create a look I want with the (recycled) materials I have on hand. I see more of my daily path when I am scouting a junk pile for that last piece to finish a job. I save money and resources by shaping the project to the materials. I let my plants reseed themselves, where they want to grow. When it rains, I go outside for a look. People like my client, who started this tirade, would have time to ponder the little thing s that occur in our garden and hopefully realize that they occur for a reason.