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You are here: Home / Gardening / The Lazy Way to Prepare your Yard for Fall

The Lazy Way to Prepare your Yard for Fall

September 17, 2010 by Alea Milham 10 Comments

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September2010 247 Some of you may not be ready to discuss the impending change of season.  However, it is just around the corner; I already have leaves that are beginning to change color. Autumn is the when, whether you realize it or not, you lay the foundation for next year’s garden. It sounds like a lot of work, but this is a time when being lazy really pays off!

When a fellow gardener visited my home she asked if I mulched my hollyhocks over the winter. I confessed that since they are next to the fence, leaves collect there naturally providing them with all the insulation they need. I am too lazy to remove leaves only to lay down mulch. Plus the leaves are free and when they break down they add nutrients to the soil.

I let leaves collect around the base of all of my plants, including hardy perennials like the Russian Sage, and leave them there until after the last frost: September2010 241
I collect the leaves that fall on concrete and use them to mulch my berries. I have experimented and found that my berries are happier when mulched with leaves instead of straw.

I don’t rake the leaves that fall on the grass, I mow them, but as when mowing grass, I don’t bag the clippings. Instead, I let the clippings add nutrients to the soil. The clippings also help retain water during drought conditions.

When writing about chrysanthemums, I shared that I do not cut dead branches back until new growth has appeared in the spring. I apply this to most of my other plants as well. Besides if I cut back my hollyhocks after they were done blooming, what would my morning glories climb? September2010 228

I also leave my Daylily Stems intact. I do not remove them until I can do so effortlessly. Then I use the dried stems as stakes when starting climbing plants in the spring.September2010 245Sometimes we work harder and spend more money than necessary to keep our yards looking nice. Do your yard and your wallet a favor and embrace your inner lazy gardener!  Tomorrow I will share some of the gardening tasks that I do expend energy on.

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About Alea Milham

Alea Milham is the owner of Premeditated Leftovers and the author of Prep-Ahead Meals from Scatch. She shares her tips for saving money and time while reducing waste in her home. Her favorite hobby, gardening, is a frugal source of organic produce for her recipes. She believes it is possible to live fully and eat well while spending less.

Comments

  1. Susie says

    September 19, 2010 at 12:21 pm

    I completely agree with this post! My neighbors spend time raking and burnng leaves but then go buy mulch and top soil. Duh…use what nature gave you!

    Reply
  2. Greenearth says

    September 18, 2010 at 10:42 pm

    Love what you are doing.

    Am beginning to garden this way myself now.

    It's about letting go of preconceived ideas and working with nature.

    Quite a mind jump I am finding but also exciting.

    Reply
  3. Karen says

    September 18, 2010 at 3:41 pm

    Very sound advice— Leave the leaves! Mother Nature has it figured out, that's why forests have such rich soil.

    What a great idea for a natural morning glory trellis! I have a friend who left a dead pine tree stand in his yard and every year it is transformed into a pillar of purple and blue with his morning glory and hyacinth bean vines.

    Thank you for sharing good common sense with us!

    Reply
  4. Linda May says

    September 18, 2010 at 12:11 pm

    That is not lazy it is smart and common sense. Love it. I do the same with leaves. But my hubby likes to rake them up and take them away.

    Reply
  5. Meadowsweet Cottage says

    September 18, 2010 at 5:25 am

    I leave some stems just so I can remember that there's a lily/hollyhock/aster/whatever there the next spring.

    The only plants I mulch are…well, actually I don't mulch any of them. Yep, truly laidback gardening!

    Reply
  6. Maureen says

    September 18, 2010 at 4:12 am

    It took me awhile to figure it out but I like to leave the leaves in the garden to protect my plants during the winter. They do a wonderful job. Stopping my husband from raking them is another story.

    Reply
  7. Dragonfly Treasure says

    September 18, 2010 at 2:05 am

    Ah, a fellow lazy gardener 🙂
    I let the leaves fall and insulate also. Great idea for the daylily stems!
    *hugs*Deb

    Reply
  8. vickie says

    September 17, 2010 at 10:28 pm

    Ahh good helpful hints –
    I can definetly feel fall in the air and see it too. Pretty soon it will be wonderful to look at.
    vickie

    Reply

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Welcome. I'm Alea!

On Premeditated Leftovers I share simple recipes made with whole foods, practical shopping tips, time saving techniques, and meal planning strategies. I also share tips for minimizing food waste, so more of the food that is purchased ends up on the table.

While volunteering as a budget counselor, I realized that food is the element of most people’s budgets where they have the greatest control. I set out to develop low-cost recipes from scratch to prove it’s possible to create delicious meals on a limited budget. Eating well while spending less is about more than just creating recipes using inexpensive ingredients; it’s about creatively combining ingredients so you don’t feel deprived and are inspired to stick to your budget.

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