There is so much life in your leaves. Leave them through the winter to benefit birds and pollinators and more.

Rake them into your garden beds. You can mulch them, or not. Come spring, your plants will poke through this layer of rich and protective habitat.

And while you’re at it, leave the standing stalks and seeds as well.

Spent stalks, seeds, and fallen leaves provide food, as well as nesting material and overwintering protection, for birds, insect pollinators, and a whole food web. As it decays, the vegetation you leave will nourish the soil. By leaving the leaves, you help nature to build a healthy, diverse natural habitat.

So please—don’t throw all that good stuff away by giving it to the city.

If you mulch your leaves, you can even leave the chopped up pieces on your lawn. They will decompose over the winter, enriching your soil with organic matter that will nourish your turf naturally. And you will save on fertilizer next spring.