What can you do to add "wow" appeal this month? What do you do with your leaf litter? You know... all those beautiful leaves that are now quickly piling up in your shrub beds and by the front door. Leaf litter is nature's nourishment. If your lot is large enough leaf litter can be consolidated into areas where it can decompose in a natural setting. If you do not have room for these natural leaf beds, and leaves continue to blow into unwanted areas, try mulching the leaves with a mower equipped with a mulching blade. On the campus of Ole Miss we often use backpack blowers to blow loose leaves out from the shrub beds and into the lawn areas. Then we use our mowers to chop up the loose leaves into tiny pieces. We may make several passes over the leaves to mulch them up small enough to return to the soil. Organic matter becomes useful just by reducing the size of it and returning it deep within the turf. I have found it over the years to be a good source of nourishment and I have not had any issues with thatch or other diseases. It provides a good, smart use of natural resources and is an easy way to clean up. In natural areas away from lawn areas, allow the leaves to remain on the ground. Clearly define the outer perimeter, where the leaves start and stop. Defining your natural areas is important for "wow" curb appeal. Don't allow the leaves to bleed into the lawn areas. This causes confusion to the eye. You may need to mulch up some of the leaf litter in the natural areas if the loose leaves continue to blow into areas where they do not belong. Simple clean-up really adds to the "wow" appeal of a yard. Do you have any questions, comments, or tips that work for you in your yard?