i'm a scrounge, too

Taking a tip from Paul Gardener, I had my eye out for some leaves this past week. I've read that uncovered soil in the winter is "naked." Winter weather compacts the soil, leaches away minerals, and does a host of other nasty things - unless the soil is covered. This is where the leaves come in. They keep the soil protected, and, as it slowly decomposes, add badly-needed organic matter.

Yesterday morning, on the way to work, I spotted a side street that seemed to have a plethora of large trees next to the road. And at the base of those large trees: leaves, bagged and tied, just waiting to be hauled away. I simply assumed that they don't care who hauls them away, and since I have no large trees of my own, I figured I could volunteer for the job. So this morning, on my drive to work, I pulled over, filled the back of the Tahoe with about twenty bags of leaves, and was on my way. Took less than five minutes, and felt like a little bit of a drive-by.

I'll probably wait to spread them out until some rain or snow is in the forecast. Otherwise, they'll just dry up and get blown all over the place. They will be the blanket for the garden this winter.