It’s winter in Houston even though some call it late fall and others call it early spring. It’s the time when some of our local trees shed their leaves. And the leaves on the ground can cause big debates among neighbors. Being from Michigan, I understand the huge sycamore leaves from the tree 4 houses over are now my problem when they land on my yard. As a teen, I was responsible for raking the ever falling leaves before they sat on the lawn too long. On the other hand, my neighbor from New Orleans thinks the neighbor 4 houses over should be picking up after his shedding tree.
My answer to my New Orleans neighbor is simple: let the leaves lie where they fall. This is the environmentally friendly answer to which I subscribe. I gave up long ago on the idea of having a perfect green lawn under the oak tree in my front yard where the grass refuses to grow. So I let the leaves lie!
Most home owners are socially conditioned and desire the status of having the greenest, lushest yard on the block. I opted to take the easy and environmentally friendly route. And it’s also the laziest. Hopefully, my neighbors have come to accept my organically covered front yard while I allow Horseherb, a Texas native ground cover, to slowly take over.
Leaves are natural mulch and they provide multiple benefits. Leaves break down into organic material and help build healthy soils. A thick layer of leaves provides insulation against cold winter weather for the seeds, plants and roots underneath. In that thick layer of leaves are eggs, caterpillars and chrysalis of important pollinators. Also living in that layer of leaves on your yard are many other small creatures that feed larger creature such as birds and amphibians.
By simply leaving the leaves in your yard, you are doing your part toward improving our environment. A layer of leaves encourages the natural web of live and helps improve biodiversity. Let the leaves lie!