by Jenny Humphrey
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| Last rose against Amur Maple |
I bet others also got caught out with yesterday’s snowfall. I knew I should have gathered the leaves up before now but with the lingering blooms in the garden it seemed as though fall would go on forever. Just a couple of weeks ago there were no less then ten different flowers still decorating the garden, little spots of colour against the yellowing leaves. Now those yellowed leaves cover the grass with the snow more than just dusting the top. Ah well, just as quickly as the snow arrived it will surely go I hope and then those valuable leaves will need to be piled up either over my flower beds or into the compost. If not, nature will take its course and by spring the soggy layer will be just as valuable for putting back into the garden.
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| Ligularia seed heads |
I never understand why is it such common practice to wrap that beautiful biodegradable product in new plastic packages and treat it as garbage. It is as if there is something terribly contaminated or dirty about leaves. They are natural, full of nutrition and nature’s way of giving back. Best of all they are free fertilizer. They will naturally decompose with time and there is plenty of help out there – worms drag them down and feed on them providing fine castings. Arthropods, gastropods, fungi, bacteria, algae and protozoa all contribute to a healthy soil but the return of plant material is essential.
The simplest way to tidy them up is to take a length of wire fencing, bend it into a circle and clip it together. Place it in a corner of the garden and pile the leaves into it. By spring, the volume will have shrunk considerably and the decomposition will have begun. You may be able to continue using the same container for another year or two. Then when you can see the humus rich mixture at the bottom, open it up and spread the leaf mould or compost over the garden. Turning the pile speeds up the process but time is a great substitute for those who are just not keen on putting in any more effort.
If you just can’t resist putting the leaves in bags, emptying the bags into the plant matter pile at the transfer station will get them back into a usable compost pile. At least the plastic bag and leaves will not be deadlocked taking up useless space in the city dump.
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| Michaelmas Daisy or Fall Aster |
I wonder if the new Council will reduce the limit on the amount of garbage that can be put out on the sidewalk for pick up? It shows how out of touch the present Council is when we are able to put out up to five bags weighing up to 20 kilograms each with the option to buy extra tags for $1.50 each.
ReplyDeleteIt's also time that City workers were directed not to pick up garden waste. It should be taken to the Transfer Station before being transferred to the Landfill site, where it is left to decompose.
I also wonder how many of the Council members old or new have visited or plan to visit the Transfer Station and Landfill to find out what is involved in waste management? City Council should lead by example!!