The changing seasons throughout a calendar year all have different feelings associated with their presence but none may be more enjoyable than the changes associated with the fall season. Long gone is the heat of summer as the air begins to cool and mother nature lets it be known that winter will be approaching soon. During this transition, the leaves begin to change colors creating a scene of natural beauty around all of Colorado and many of the surrounding areas. The different leaf colors consisting of yellows, reds, and browns combine with the remaining evergreens to create an awe inspiring scene of natural beauty.

However, once this phenomenon takes place these same leaves then fall from the trees and create a headache for property owners once on the ground. Covering lawns, driveways, and road ways, the leaves can be a nuisance to people by covering their landscape and creating numerous issues around any home or place of business. Unattended leaves will eventually clog gutter systems, forcing considerable drainage issues - create trip and slip hazards on walkways - or simply cover a yard and choke out the grass underneath by blocking necessary sunlight and keeping moisture from reaching the soil level.

These issues are the result of one of the most beautiful times of the year but also one that must be given special attention in order to ensure your lawn and landscape is ready for winter and the following spring’s growth season. Faced with the downed leaves, fortunately, there are multiple options for homeowners to handle their current situations. Each of these different uses provides a beneficial solution to what could seemingly be a hazard if left alone.
Bag

Raking and bagging leaves is a common solution for many individuals for pickup by their local town or municipality, if provided as an available service in your specific area. However, instead of simply having these leaves hauled off of your property as a waste material, there are a few uses for the bags which can benefit you during both the upcoming winter and spring seasons. 

These bagged leaves can provide a method for naturally insulating your home and help to reduce the cost of heating in the winter. By stacking the bags around your basement, garage, or other cold prone areas of your home, the bagged leaves can go to work for you and then be used as compost in the next spring.
Mulch

While leaves left to lay on your lawn may create issues for the grass underneath, the covering can be beneficial for other plants and some crops. Instead of bagging the leaves, simply moving them to an area where they can serve a better purpose eliminates one of the hardest ways to handle their presence. Leaves can benefit certain other plants by providing a mulch like material which can help protect the plants or crops where it is moved to assist. 

Perennial vegetables benefit from this mulch material created by leaves which help to protect the plants underneath during the harsh winters. By providing a natural ground cover and keeping the heat and warmth located inside and close to the ground, these plants will benefit from the leafy mulch layer and the good news is there is little effort required, since no bagging or breaking down of the individual leaves is needed.
Mold

Another idea for removing leaves from your property and then letting them go back to work for you is to create leaf mold. Either by creating a container bin, using wire or another material, somewhere on your property or simply bagging the leaves and letting them decompose naturally, once a pile has been created it will be ready for use in just a few years. 

The leaf mold mixture is almost like a natural fertilizer for your lawn or garden and has many benefits - including being virtually weed free. By naturally recycling the leaves found on property, one can put their leaves to use for them yearly after establishing a leaf mold cycle.
Shred

One of the easiest and most convenient methods for disposing of the leaf problem is to shred them where they lie. If not, the covering will eliminate light, other necessary minerals, and especially water from reaching the soil and grass underneath which can create even more issues for any natural landscape.

By continuing to run a lawn mower over the yard after the leaves have fallen, the break down allows the leaves to immediately begin to decompose in the yard providing their own essential minerals and removing the cover so water can reach the surface. One of the easiest and least exhaustive methods of handling fallen leaves, shredding is a useful option.
Fun

Before utilizing any of these methods there are a few activities for putting leaves to use prior to selecting which method will work best for you. Leaves can be heaped into a pile used for jumping or running through which can be fun for kids of all ages, in addition to the many crafts which can be created from individual leaves or a collection of astonishing fall colors.

There are plenty of fall leaf crafts to choose from which can aid in providing decoration for your home on both the inside or outside. These colors will help get any home or family into the spirit of fall and ready for the fast approaching holidays before they arrive.

Arbor Garden Tree & Landscaping has been serving the Denver metro area for 23 years. We began in 1994 with one truck and now have a full service arborist business. Our locally owned and operated company is proud to serve Denver metro area residents and business owners including the Denver Country Club, Castle Pines Country Club, city and county governments, various homeowners associations and private homeowners. Our knowledgeable and certified arborists would be more happy to provide you with tree trimming, tree removal, tree planting and landscaping services. When you’re ready to get started give us a call at 303-722-8820 or fill out our contact form today.