Oak leaves are starting to fall. 40+ mature oaks line my yard and garden. It takes them a month to drop.
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Here's my current solution. I've just moved up to a modern mower that will grind and pick up leaves. Big improvement from the last two lawn mowers which were ancient. Those minced leaves will greatly improve the compost piles. I'll enjoy spreading that "black gold" in the spring.
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And then there are the acorns to deal with. So many acorns all across the front. The lawn mower won't pick them up, a leaf blower won't move them. They are narrow enough for the tines of my rakes to miss them. I do end up repeatedly raking until I can get them bunched up into multiple piles, then lean over and pick them up by hand. That's a job I don't look forward to.
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The hostas are turning. I no longer fight the deer; if they want to munch, it's OK.
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Crumpling hostas, falling leaves, most everything looking more dead than alive - plant joy is fading. But tons of trees have not yet started to turn. So many more leaves to go. By Thanksgiving they should all be down. I will need to get them up before it starts snowing, or many things will go wrong come spring. Last fall I did not finish raking the leaves. I learned my lesson. This fall I will.
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The hostas in the big garden on the hill out back need to have their leaves cut off and disposed of in order to discourage voles setting up house in there and eating hosta roots through the winter. I have a Japanese garden knife that does a good job at this. It's another task I don't look forward to.
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Fall is my least favorite time in the garden. So much work, and no reward until spring. "Least favorite" is an understatement.