Organic gardening

Recycling autumn leaves is an easy way to make a great soil improver for your garden - and it‘s free. Leaf mould is a crumbly dark brown material that not only helps to condition the soil but also helps to suppress weeds. If you visit our gardens you will see our leaf mould area where you can see our mould making in progress.

Making the mould

1. During November and December, the fallen leaves are
collected by hand or…
2. raked up from the paths.
3. The leaves are put into a ‘bay’ and left to...
4. decompose naturally with the help of invertebrates and bacteria. After three years, the leaves have broken down into leaf mould which can be spread on the flowerbeds.
5. In the autumn, leaves start falling and the cycle begins again …
Simple! Why not give it a try at home?

A way with weeds

Our site also has 'bays' for weeds which are left to decompose naturally – a process that usually takes two years. The resulting compost is rich in nutrients and is used in the garden borders. A layer of leaf mould is spread on top, adding more nutrients and keeping down weeds.

Remember

Any leaves that fall in autumn can go into your leaf mould heap, but some will take longer to rot down than others!