"Willow, elm, cottonwood, oak, sycamore, sweetgum, and callery pear. Fallen leaves create tapestries of color; first clothing crowns of trees, then spread warmly across our lawns. Their beauty causes automobiles to slow when passing leaf-covered landscapes. They can cause pedestrians to pause completely; momentarily overwhelmed by a vast canvas of color. And then, once that beauty has faded, leaves evidence other aspects of their value to us. At the horticultural level, they return mulch, organic matter and nutrients to the soil for later generations of plants. Economically, they can save us vast amounts of money spent on peat moss and mulches and garden bed fertilizers. As you view this slideshow, take a moment to look at enlarged copies of these images. Try to see these leaves, and the leaves on your lawn, as a magnificent gift instead of an annual annoyance. They give us shade in the summer, great beauty in the fall, a warm blanket of mulch on garden beds in the winter, and organic matter & nutrients for next year’s plantings. Leaves give new meaning to the old phrase “…the gift that keeps on giving.””
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