It may not be rare or exotic, but leaf mulch is a magical, free amendment to your garden’s soil that many a gardener swears by. I first noticed it in the driveway of my grandmother’s summer ...

Using a layer of mulch across the soil surface can prevent ... including bark chippings, leaf mould, well-rotted farmyard manure or crushed shells. Mulching has many benefits.

Most leaves can be turned into leaf mould ... that can be used as a mulch around the base of plants. Let the leaves rot down for another year if you want to use as soil conditioner.