Tempted to clean out those beds now that the leaves have fallen? Put away the rake and give yourself a well-deserved break.
Mother Nature’s blanket. Let leaves that have fallen around the base of plants stay there—they are Mother Nature’s mulch protecting roots. Blowing leaves out of shrubs destroys the habitat for many beneficial insects that winter over in leaf litter, and exposes roots to frost and thaw cycles.
Leaves that have fallen on the lawn are best run over by your mulching lawn mower. By spring they will have returned the nutrients they needed to grow to your soil. Your mower should be set at 2 inches for the balance of the season
It gives you a good feeling. Each year, you rediscover in a garden the magic of life. A flower arrives, and it is a miracle. The leaves fall in the autumn, and it looks fantastic. There is a tenderness about a garden, and you can't help but be sensitive to that. - Hubert de Givenchy