Comments on: Tribute to Fallen Leaves—Let Them Be!

By: Nadine Sellers

Nadine Sellers — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 16:48:29 +0000

People watched me for years, gathering leaf bags and raking the local park in our small desert town. Many were openly quizzical or critical.
As soon as my garden began to bear healthful vegetation and turn into a fast emerging oasis, looks turned to questions, then to discussions.
Sadly i was unable to translate the miracle of continuum into solid action for most of these vicarious onlookers.
After years of proof and example, the little town returned to the sterile efforts of gadgetry and chemistry; few ever thought the deep satisfaction of conservation and renewal was worth the joyful appreciation of what they perceived as hard work. No, no, not work, i said, pleasure in nature..

By: lichen

lichen — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 22:22:26 +0000

Bozh is right; leaves make good compost. They are also the trees natural method of providing it’s own mulch, so that it can preserve moisture in the ground and not die. People need to move beyond the idea of picture perfect lawns, and plant perrenial vegetables, berry bushes, fruit trees there instead; not produce noise and other types of pollution to maintain sterility.

By: lloyd

lloyd — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 17:20:45 +0000

In my small northern California town of Benicia, there is a “State Recreation Area” which is also a wildlife preserve. The Swartz has apparently proposed legislation that will close the park sometime before he departs office. I addressed an email plea to SaveSolanoParks. Com giving in a sentence my solution. (And addressing everything but the funding of my solution.) They have not replied.

I wonder what could be banned to further my jogging and birdwatching… Automobiles? There is a large unused area near an entrance adjacent to where the present state employees stay, which could be made into a parking lot…. Housing? With some sort of wealth tax on the corporations who stand to be building right down to the waterline, once the park is abolished?

Suggestions much appreciated.

By: bozh

bozh — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 17:08:28 +0000

I actually pick up bags of leaves on my way home from walks in neighborhood and dump them in my garden. I also scoop street leaves with my snow shovel and deposit them on my flower beds.
I have also made a flower bed on the bullevard along the sidewalk. We need more plants and flowers and less grass. tnx