Every Fall when the piles of leaves appear on the streets I wonder why people are throwing away that good mulch and compost? My neighbor’s pile is about 20 feet long, three feet high, and five feet wide.
In the Spring these people spend hundreds of dollars on bags of mulch and compost.
Here on the East side of Raleigh there are about 2 to 4 inches of sandy topsoil over the red clay base. Mulching with the oak, maple, and sweet gum leaves, as well as pine straw, improves the moisture retention and drainage of the soil, decreases weeds, and as it decomposes, releases nutrients into the soil.
You can easily create a compost pile in the rear of your back yard by just piling the leaves and turning them a few times during the Summer. Or purchase a simple plastic compost bin for about $50 then you can also add your kitchen scraps from the fruit and vegetables you eat. Statistics state we throw away 27% of the food we buy! http://feedingthelandfill.webnode.com/food-waste-statistics/
After only one season it decomposes into a nice mulch.
And, of course, Gus loves to sit in the sun when we are out in the garden during cold but sunny days!
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Arthur in the Garden! 