You may have thought the leaves falling and covering your grass is purely a pain to remedy. However, Monty Don is here to tell you that those fallen leaves are more useful than you know.
When it comes to sustainable garden ideas using what nature provides you is one of the best ways to save money and improve your garden. As your garden changes through the seasons, so do the natural resources it offers.
So, when autumn arrives the leaves off your trees aren't the nuisance you may think they are. Monty Don says that these dead leaves are the key to making 'garden gold' leafmould.
Monty Don's recipe for 'garden gold'
Discussing October's gardening to-do list on his monthly blog, Monty Don jumps straight into how collecting fallen leaves can be a brilliant source of vital plant nutrients.
"Every fallen leaf is potential leafmould and leafmould which, unlike compost, takes no turning, mixing or knowledge to make, is garden gold," he says.
You may already know how to make compost at home, but leafmould is another great way to naturally collect garden nourishment without spending a penny.
"So I am obsessive about making leafmould, gathering as many of the fallen leaves as possible, mowing them to chop them up and then stacking them in a big open heap so they can break down into a lovely rich, crumbly texture and become an essential component of our home-made potting compost," Monty explains.
He goes on to say that he leaves drifts and piles of leaves under hedges and trees to prevent over-wintering cover for hedgehogs, frogs, small mammals and insects.
If you're someone who likes to attract birds to your garden this is a great way of getting other wildlife to come too. However, if you have a vegetable patch you might want to attract birds that eat slugs to save your crop.
Monty also adds stacks of logs and piles of prunings which all give essential winter protection for smaller creatures that improve your garden's ecosystem. It's similar to how the rewilding trend can make a huge difference to your plants, vegetable patch and flowers.
"If you do not have somewhere to store them sort this out early in the month. A simple bay made from four posts and chicken wire is ideal," he finishes.
For something that you would usually throw in your garden waste bin, fallen leaves are worth their weight in gold.
Shop autumn garden tools
RRP: £22.48 | The head on this model is designed with 20 tines that have been oil-treated for extra strength, meaning it excels when removing leaves, grass clippings, dead grass and moss.
RRP: £8.99 | Before you've made your leafmould, collecting them in fabric bags can make the job a lot easier. This one from Amazon is heavy-duty and is made from industrial fabric.
RRP: £21.99 | Chicken wire can come in handy with loads of jobs around the garden, but it's perfect for making a bay for your leafmould. This one can be bent and cut to size to suit any task you're using it for.
Knowing how to sort your garden out will make its maintenance so much easier, even more so when you know tips like Monty's that will save you from throwing useful resources out.
