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Five things to do with yard waste

As I look out on my own front yard, I see that I have a weekend's worth of raking to do. The oak tree that stands next to the street has dumped its summer growth on my property. Back in the day (when we walked four miles up hill to school both ways) I may have gathered the growth in big plastic bags and sent it off with the trash. No longer; there are plenty of things to do with fall foliage.

Here are five alternatives to kissing those leaves goodbye:

  1. Stuff a scarecrow. The essential ingredients for making a scarecrow to adorn your yard or front porch can be found in your house. Old clothes and fallen leaves are all you will need to create this autumn ornament.
  2. Leave them where they lay. This may be an unpopular choice for some neighborhoods but decomposing leaves add nutrients to the soil. You can lessen the carpeted lawn look and help your grass by mowing and chopping the leaves up into little bits. This will also aid in decomposition.
  3. Mulch. Attaching a bag to your mower will collect shredded leaves which can then be deposited around your perennials to enrich the soil and slow water evaporation.
  4. Fun. Other than free candy at Halloween, is there anything better about fall than jumping in a giant pile of leaves. Spend an afternoon outside with the kids. When you are done jumping, bribe them to rake the leaves up for you.
  5. Compost. Whether you are disassembling the scarecrow or looking for a way to deal with your first leaf pile, composting is a fantastic option for dealing with an excess of foliage.
Any other tips?

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