The Leaf-Mulching Process

As published in the HamiltonNews.com
https://www.hamiltonnews.com/opinion-story/9000786-growing-green-the-leaf-mulching-process/

In the summer of 2017, my thoughtful husband bought us, on sale, a leaf vacuum/blower/mulcher. When the leaves started falling from our large little-leaf linden tree, the new gadget made swift work of the leaf-mulching process.

The mulched leaves were placed in large trash cans, for storage and use in the garden once a heavy frost had come upon us, or so I thought. However, when I went looking for the finely mulched leaves, I discovered that they had been mistakenly put out for the city’s garbage and compost pickup.

Acceptance of the loss still left me with an urgent desire for more of the nutrient-rich soil-amending leaf mulch. Luckily, I was able to acquire six bags of leaves from a neighbour who had no plan to use them — and a new iteration of the saying, “One man’s trash ...” became “is this gardener’s treasure.”

So, over the next few days — thanks to our good luck, ingenuity and teamwork — my husband mulched his way through the bags of replacement leaves, and I set about spreading them on our front and side gardens. Mission accomplished: flora, fauna and garden soil would reap the benefits of our combined effort.

The memory of last year’s adventure returned to me just as 2018’s leaves started making their seasonal pilgrimage from branch to ground. It reminded me that persistence is important when faced with adversity, and that — pleasant or poor — I should embrace every day in the garden.

Growing Green is a regular feature prepared by the Mount Hamilton Horticultural Society (gardenontario.org/site.php/mhhs or Facebook). Member Nancy (Haigh) Gordon, the author of this article, also writes the gardening blog thepollinatorpotagerproject.blogspot.ca.