Fall is well under way here in Philadelphia, and it’s that time of year to rake up the leaves, collect seedheads, have a canning party, and bake apple pies.

The best thing to do with leaves is to add them to your compost which needs roughly 3 parts “brown material” (like leaves, straw, twigs, etc.) to every 1 part “green” (kitchen scraps, plant trimmings, etc.) If you’re looking to start composting or have some questions on what materials are compost-able, visit these helpful links from Organic Gardening & Penn State:

• Begin Composting
  

• Compost Ingredients
  

• Backyard Composting in Pennsylvania
  

Leaves can be added to compost whole and this will work just fine, though shredding the leaves allows them to break down faster and speeds up the composting process. The easiest way to shred leaves is to use a mulching lawnmower (the type with a bag attachment to collect what you mow); rake your leaves into an area in the center of your lawn and go back and forth with the mower. You can then empty the shredded leaves from the mower bag into your compost pile, or into the bags you plan to store the leaves for next summer, when brown material is at a low. If you don’t compost, you can also use shredded leaves for mulching. Or, you could simply let nature do its business and allow the fallen leaves to provide groundcover protection during the winter months where we frequently lack a dependable insulating layer of snow. However, if you really don’t have a use for the leaves and can’t stand the sight of them on the ground all winter - or your neighbors can’t, for that matter - be sure to check your local guidelines for curb-side pick up or leaf collection days. In Philadelphia, leaf collection is from November 10th - December 19th. Set out your leaves in brown paper bags the day before your regular trash collection day. Certain neighborhoods also have mechanical leaf collection days that are scheduled throughout this time in addition to the curb-side collection days. Visit the Streets Department for additional information and dates regarding leaf collection. Philadelphia also has a great yard waste recycling program where you can bring leaves, tree limbs, and other biodegradable yard trimmings from October 11th - December 27th: Click here to view pdf guidelines. The specific dates change annually, but are generally within the same time period.

Today I was out in the yard raking up leaves to use for my compost pile, and decided it would be a great time to collect some of the plants I allowed to dry on the stems to use in a fall “floral” arrangement. My particular bouquet consists of blackeyed susans, astilbe, fountain grass, hydrangea, rosehips, coneflower, azalea leaves and liriope. If you’re like me this time of year you’re coming down off a summer of constant weeding, trimming, cutting back, transplanting, dividing, harvesting, and miscellaneous yard projects and it’s starting to feel a bit bare. So this is a great project to feel re-invigorated, from figuring out what you can use, to actually making the arrangement and making it part of your seasonal decor. Come mid-December I usually make a wreath or bough that can be hung on the front door using various evergreen sprigs, holly, pine cones, ribbon, and some sort of “feature” I come up with on the fly that adds a splash of color. Here is my first fall bouquet:

Other great projects for this time of year are canning (apples, tomatoes, sauces, etc.) and baking (pies, breads and muffins using seasonal produce like apples, pumpkins and squashes). The satisfaction you gain from slaving over the stove all day and being able to taste the fruits of your labor both right away and 3 months from now in the dead cold of February is absolutely immeasurable! This site by Ball (is there really another company that makes canning jars?) is a great resource for canning and preserving how-to: Complete guide to fresh preserving. Note that when you click on the tutorials there is a link above the tutorial window to download as a pdf; unless you have a laptop on your counter - which if you cook like me would be a complete disaster - the pdf is the way to go. They also have resources for freezing and making spreads among other things under the “How To” tab, as well as recipes and additional preserving guidelines.

If you have any canning tips, favorite recipes, or other fall projects please feel free to share!