The gift of fall does not end with the leaves as they remain on trees and shrubs. Colorful collec- tions can be arranged on table tops.
know, love to shuffle and jump in them. They can be mulched (chopped) using a lawn mower, added to the compost pile and dug in gently around all plants in every garden for some magical decom- position during the winter. This process adds important nutrients to the soil. Once you begin this process there will never again be too many leaves. Remember to alternate green (nitrogen) and brown (carbon) material when adding to your compost pile for the best results. If you decide to use the leaves from a neighbor or a municipality (some offer free compost to residents), be sure you check that the lawns they were deposited upon were not chemically treated. The gift of fall does not end with the leaves as they remain on trees and shrubs. Colorful collections can be arranged on table tops. Bountiful branches can be gathered up and displayed in colorful glass bottles in the corners of your rooms or by the front door or back porch, the possi- bilities are endless. They will curl up and drop, but not for a couple of days and if you wish you can get out the wax paper and press the really memorable ones and share them with children. Or remember using a screen with leaves on top to spat- ter paint? Done on white shelf paper this makes wonderful wrapping paper. Live a little. Children sometimes have all the fun! This area of the world is rich in forest.
Our woods are reported to be in greater abundance than in the nineteenth cen- tury, despite development. Leaving an area previously mown to grow naturally not only is good for our environment but provides a diversity of plant material. Lawn mowers are some of our greatest polluters. Meadows can be planted using meadow seed or left to grow in naturally. Purchased seed for meadows needs to be specific to the area in which it will be growing. An amazing variety of plants grow naturally in these spaces. Natural meadows provide the sounds of insects, birds and seasonal color. When left un- disturbed tree seedlings appear, deposited by bird droppings and the wind. Trees and shrubs are filtration experts assisting
The House & Home Magazine 35
Beautiful branch of an autumn tree in a forest.
in our efforts to keep our waters clear of pollution from the land. Meadows can be living classrooms for all ages with a mown path to a bench and an all-weather field guide available for perusal. The loblolly pine is king of the forest. Known to grow from a tiny seedling to over 6 foot
in height in 5 to 7 years it soon towers over other trees. Maples, black gums, tulip poplars and the slower growing oaks give a show of wonderful green in the spring and summer with shade and fruit for wildlife. They are the promise for the future of the blaze of autumn. H
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