With that late August heat wave coming through, it’s hard to believe that fall is just around the corner. Say goodbye to sunbathing on the patio, and say hello to raking leaves and pumpkin decorating. While many of us are less than enthused to spend a fall afternoon raking up dead leaves, we do have some good news. Raked leaves aren’t just for the trash anymore – here are five things to do with the leaves you just raked:
1. Mulch ‘Em
Leaves make for excellent mulch and can even do a better job than wood chips due to their organic composition. Do your plant beds a favor and surround them with your dead leaves to increase the plants’ fertility. Just don’t forget to shred them with a leaf blower first to allow water to get through.
2. Use Leaves for Compost
Shredded dead leaves are the perfect ingredient for your compost pile. Combining the leaves with grass, twigs and soil creates a nutrient-rich mixture for gardens and plants in the months to come.
3. Insulate Plants
Colorado winters can get pretty chilly, especially for your plants braving the elements all on their own. Give plant containers a little extra protection by surrounding them in leaves and wrapping them in wire fencing.
4. Channel Your Artistic Side
Fancy yourself an artsy gal or guy? Go wild with fallen leaves for your next craft project. This may not exactly be our forte, but we’ve heard that leaves can be turned into great scarecrow stuffing, wreaths, centerpieces and who knows what else if you catch the creative bug.
5. Share the Wealth
If none of the above options sound like anything you’d be interested in, ask around the ‘hood before tossing your raked leaves in the garbage. Sure, your neighbors may look at you a bit funny when you show up on their doorsteps with a bag of leaves, or you may just be the mulching/composting/crafting solution they’ve been looking for.
Of course, if you just want to make a giant pile of leaves to dive into, dive away, friends – we won’t judge. And if you need the pros to help out with any and all fall cleanup tasks, just give us a call at 970-304-1183.