Right now, my kids' favorite thing to do when we walk through neighborhoods or parks is drag their feet (or even their bodies 😆) through piles of crisp fall leaves.

It's been such a beautiful season in Bend with all the changing colors and lots of leaf piles to play in. 🍂

True story: Several years ago, when I first moved onto my property, I made a post in my local Facebook group asking strangers if I could have their bagged-up leaves. Dozens of people offered up hundreds of bags—all I had to do was drive around town and pick them up from the curb.

I saved tons of leaves from going to the landfill and made an enormous amount of compost in less than a year's time. All without building bins, turning piles of leaves, worrying about brown-to-green ratios, or trying to get the materials hot enough to decompose.

​I did this by making leaf mold (and here's exactly how).​

This is an excellent way to put fallen leaves to good use in your yard! The hard part is just raking them all up. 😆 (Or, do what I did and just collect your neighbors' bags.)

Seasonal tips

5 Ways to Use Fall Leaves to Recharge Your Garden Soil Read more

6 Clever Ways to Repurpose Yard Trimmings for a Zero-Waste Garden Read more

Winterizing Strawberries: Don't Make This Mistake Read more

10 Easiest Vegetables to Grow Indoors Year-Round—No Grow Lights Needed! Read more

4 Ways to Pickled Green Tomatoes Read more

Roasted Green Tomato Salsa Verde Read more

P.S. If you've got piles and piles of leaves lying around, this is the easiest way to turn them into compost (using only leaves).

P.P.S. I cover more soil-building tips in-depth in Lazy Gardening Academy. Fall is the best time to do this so your soil is ready by spring!