At My Place: Do You Have Leaves to Rake?

I've noticed that my neighbours do not all have trees on their yard, so that explains why they are not raking up the fall leaves over and over as I have been doing.

I have 2 tall, large maple trees in the backyard and though the tree on the east side of the garden has lost all it's leaves weeks ago, the one on the west side still has one high, long branch that is still shedding leaves - non-stop!

So I've been raking this end of the garden over and over again! At least four times so far, over the last 3-4 weeks, over ground that I've already raked very thoroughly four times. Yesterday I was hoping it was the last time.

But when I looked up - way up. That one branch still has yellow leaves clinging to it. (Sigh! How many more times will it be?)

I use giant clear bags and when filled and tied, I set them as shelters around the hollyhocks and lilies which might not come up again in the spring if the root areas get too frozen through winter. (In spring I'll empty the bags into the compost bin.)

The count of the big bags set up for a winter shift, is well over 20+ maybe 30? I manage to fill 2-4 bags a day!

In the front yard I have raked the strip of ground under the trees on the east side 3 times now. The branches above seem to be empty of leaves, but then a wind comes up and delivers with a flourish, at least a giant bag full of leaves in that same area - gathered from the neighbours and the street. I may just give up on that area for this fall.

If the snow holds off, I could pick the leaves out of the flower beds, - but I'm quietly promising myself, I'll only do it once - then it will have to wait until spring.

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