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Don't rake your leaves!
#1
It is that time of year when people obsess about getting all the leaves from their trees raked up.
Don't do it! Just leave them there on the ground. They break down naturally and provide fertilizer for the spring growing season. 
Also more importantly, you could be raking up caterpillars. Leave the leaves and let the caterpillars be.

https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/do...50783.html


I sometimes collect bags of leaves from my neighbours to bury my roses. The leaves keep them warm for the winter and as they break down they put new life back into the soil. I don't even own a rake, but I do have beautiful roses.

This is one time when we can work with nature and it will be less work for us.
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Catherine

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#2
You know what? I have heard it said by gardeners that leaves must be cleared from lawns, or they are toxic and wil kill the grass.
I can say right now that isn't true. I don't know about those perfect "bowling green" lawns (never owned one!) but I never cleared my leaves and come Spring, my grass grew happily and healthily just as usual! A couple of mowings usually cleared left over leaf debris as well as cut grass.

Then last year I started blowing leaves off my lawn with a leaf blower! The arrival of newts to visit me a few times, made me think twice about doing that. Newts like to over-winter under dead leaves etc. I would hate to hurt them, so I left the leaves again.
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#3
Leaves on the grass are nature's fertilizer. They are mostly gone by spring. I even think they look good.
More importantly they provide shelter for little creatures. They shelter earthworms and grubs and lots of small stuff. Your salamanders would not do well on a clean green lawn. It is always better if we work with nature. 

I think various bee species need the leaves as well. Think how many ways you are helping nature by sitting back and letting the leaves fall where they may.
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Catherine

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#4
All sorts of insects such as wood-lice and beetles can be found sheltering under damp old leaves. And among other untidy bits around the garden such as old logs, bits of wood etc. Song birds rely on them as a food source also, so anything that encourages insects to thrive out there can do no harm.
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#5
I don't do garden cleanup until spring. I let the dying flowers and falling leaves do what nature intended. All I did was some pruning so that shrubs don't crowd each other out. The rest I left natural. I have an old log lying in the back garden and I am sure it is becoming the home of many things. I know the birds hang around my yard all day. They use the neighbour's feeders for food and my trees as a social site. Even in the city, nature can thrive.

When we stop trying to control nature and keep it tidy, then life can thrive. That is what we are trying to encourage people to do, let nature have a chance. In the end we will be rewarded with much more beautiful gardens with more bees, butterflies and birds.
All this from just leaving things alone and letting them do what nature intended. What could be simpler.
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Catherine

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