dkhedmo wrote:
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-

Thanks for the info, everyone. I suspect that the sheer quantity of
leaves I expect to fall will be way too many to leave and will indeed
smother the grass. (The entire property is lawn, save for the above
ground pool and playhouse in the back, and a bit of shrubbery around the
edges of the house.) We'll probably follow a plan incorporating both
ideas given he maybe do one big cleanup, then mow over the rest, as
we plan to buy a mulching/side discharge type of mower. (Suggestions
under $500?)

We're planning to eventually expand/reconfigure the drive and walkway in
the front and change much of the rest of the lawn there to a garden and
native species type of situation. (Need to do more research on that.)
We'll eventually add a patio in the back and a couple of good sized
raised garden beds, that should do away with a good portion of the lawn!
We'll likely only mow the "back 40" of the yard, nearest the woods, a
few times a year, as it seems many of the neighbors do. Whatever we do
back there, it will be a bit on the rustic side, maybe turn it into
more of a wildflower garden or habitat of some sort. Compost back there,
woodpile, places for boys to dig and explore, etc.

I'm making it sound huge, the whole property is only .38 acres, but
still pretty sizable for an average neighborhood, and compared to
anything we've ever had charge of before. It's narrow, but very deep at
the back.

-K-

-Karen-