"dkhedmo" wrote in message
k.net...
We just moved into our first house. We have woods at the back of the very
large yard, and many large, mature trees on our property as well as the
surrounding neoghbors'. I love autumn, love big piles of leaves, love to
play in the piles with the kids, etc. I have no aesthetic problem with
leaves being all over the place, prefer it, actually as it is my favorite
season and I am not that enchanted with the typical suburban lawn scenario
(which I intend to remedy on my own property over time), and chose a
property with woods at the back because we really like to be near the
natural beauty.

We are not in a new, fancy neighborhood with one of those associations
with rules, and as far as I can see while perusing the local ordinances
for various information regarding fencing and such, while being expected
to keep up the property to a reasonable degree, there is nothing specific
about cleaning up leaves. I don't know yet what the communal expectations
are for this neighborhood.

My question is, why does everyone generally work themselves into a lather
cleaning up the leaves? Is it damaging to the lawn or garden? I would
think the opposite would be true, in this 4-season climate.

My mother says that in her neighborhood, if the neighbor cleaned up their
leaves and you didn't do yours and they proceeded to blow over onto the
clean yard, there would be a problem. I'd prefer to just not bother, again
not out of laziness or whatever, but because I like them and I don't
really see the point.

-Karen-

You're bound to get one or two heavy winds between now and spring. Guess
where the leaves are gonna go? That's right, your neighbors place. If you
want to have the leafy lawn, get ya bout 5 acres and build the home in the
middle of it. Leave the land boundary natural.

In deeper end of fall, leaves lying on the grass is no big deal. In cooler
times, the grass would be going dormant anyway. If the grass is to survive
the following year, the leaves have to come off the ground substantially.
There is also a problem of downwind collection of leaves by shrub-like
foliage.

But existence of a lawn may not be the case here, and not mentioned. Do
have a lawn? Your immediate neighbors?
--
Jonny