Gardening
I have decided to dedicate a second column to the concept of “Leaving the Leaves” in your yard this fall.
Your responses and questions to my last column fluttered into my inbox like oak leaves after a storm. Rather than taking my own advice and letting them lie unanswered in the proverbial email bed, I have decided to dedicate a second column to addressing your valid concerns and queries regarding “Leaving the Leaves.”
Overall, it seems the message was well received, save for one reader who took me to task for not advocating hard enough for the banning of leaf blowers and related landscape machinery. Indeed, running a gas blower for one hour emits the same amount of air pollution as driving a car for 15 hours! The humble rake remains the most efficient and environmentally friendly option. Yet, for those unable or unwilling to rake for long hours, battery-powered alternatives are available, offering near-equivalent power and function at a fraction of the noise and air pollution. Of course, the making of batteries is an extractive activity, and a valid rebuttal. Still, I would far prefer to hear the gentle whine of an eBlower over the shriek of a gas-powered one.
Back to leaves in the garden and your questions and concerns.
Despite being an evergreen, white pines annually shed their older needles ahead of the spring season when new bundles of needles are produced. A reader from Amherst asked what to do with all those needles.
Q. I just…