Ready to haul out the rake or leaf blower? Resist the temptation. Leaf litter in the forest or your yard has important benefits for critters - insects, small vertebrates, fungi, and others - and for soil nutrient cycles. Leave them in place, put them in out-of-the-way piles, or compost them.

I wish people/HOAs weren’t so obsessed with keeping the outside world so tidy.

In our condo most of the house owners are obsessed with removing leaf litter in the fall - before the snow falls (!). Some even put them in plastic bags and dispose for burning. Our small garden is one of few exceptions - here is a "mess", hopefully a place for insects and critters to thrive.

And leave some dead stems and stalks for bees and other beneficial insects to hibernate in. 🐝

In past years, I've raked them into a big pile, mowed them into fine shreds, then putting on compost heap. After a few months there is excellent leaf mold.

Off to collect bags of leaves to make leaf mould. 👍

I’ve two gabions waiting for this year’s leaves. They will be full of small wildlife by Spring.

I pile mine in heaps in hideaway places around the yard and I mulch some for the composter.

My yard guy, Reggie, and his helper were here on Thursday. I hadn’t met the helper so I stopped on the way down the drive to say hi. I asked him what yard guy told him about leaves and he answered “Reggie says don’t touch them.”

We don’t touch ours in either the yard or wood lot and it hasn’t escaped my attention that we have a gazillion fireflies every summer.

And they are utterly useless as well. Unless your intention is purely to rescatter.