Leave YOUR LEAVES

Those fall leaves all over your yard? Think of them not as a chore but a chance to improve both your garden and the planet.

- MIRANDA CROWELL

Rake, bag, repeat. That's been the fall mantra for years when it comes to dealing with the leaves blanketing our yards. But as we increasingly think of our gardens as part of the greater ecological landscape and not just places to be tidied, another mantra has come into fashion: Leave your leaves. Allowing fallen leaves to stay in place or using them in other parts of the garden can benefit both local wildlife and your soil. Try these three easy leaf-litter solutions-either on their own or in combination and you'll see fall foliage in a whole new light.

1 RETIRE THE RAKE