Thanks for the ideas, it does sound like leaf mold is worth the wait.

[snip]

If you built a wide round wire bin five feet tall & filled it to the top
with leaves, by the time they were leafmold, the pile would have reduced
to less than one foot tall. Pure leafmold can also be had by cramming as
many damp leaves as possible into a black plastic bag with a dash of
nitrogen fertilizer mixed in if you really think it needs speeding up, &
shoving them into some out of the way crawlspace for half a year or so.
Pure leafmold is a more wonderful thing than compost per se. It's very
black & crumbly & makes a splendid attractive topcoating for the whole
garden.

[snip]

If I were to take the black plastic bag approach, what nitrogen fertilizer
would you recommend? Would bloodmeal work?

Thanks again!

mm