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BBC Dragon's Den star Deborah Meaden is encouraging people to get outside and pick up fallen leaves - but it's not to keep the place tidy. The investor says collecting and reusing leaves can play a vital role in supporting gardens and help provide shelter for insects and other animals.
Her message was also approved by the BBC's Gardeners' World, with it commenting on her video: "No such thing as being too happy when it comes to leaves!" In her video, the businesswoman hailed fallen leaves as "absolute gold."
She asked her viewers: "Do you know so many people clear all of the leaves up out of their garden, but this is really good for the garden. Put it on the compost heap, use it for mulch, keep your roots warm in the winter."
She continued: "But really, the big thing for me is wildlife and insects. If you can leave a pile of leaves, it's a fantastic food for wildlife and insects. It smells delicious. I know that sounds weird it does."
In fact, according to the Woodland Trust, this is one of the most helpful things you can do. It writes: "One of the simplest and most useful things to do with fallen leaves is to make a pile in an unused area of your garden for wildlife. This warm, safe space can provide crucial shelter for a variety of species through winter, including caterpillars, ladybirds, toads and hedgehogs. This leaf litter is also important food for fungi and all kinds of minibeasts, from spiders to centipedes."
If you want to use it as mulch, the experts suggest that for fast results, you can try the following: "Shred leaves and apply them straight to your beds and borders as a mulch. Mulching is great for the garden, helping to protect plants from the elements, suppress weeds, retain soil moisture and keep worms - a gardener's best friend - safe from hungry birds.
"A natural mulch like fallen leaves will improve soils too, returning nutrients to the ground as they break down. Leaves should be shredded to allow some air and water to get through to soil and plants. Add a layer of shredded leaf material 2-3 inches thick, avoiding plant stems."
In another helpful tip, the gardening experts note that damp leaves make an excellent "brown" material to mix with fresher "green" materials when creating homemade compost. By combining and turning the mix about once a month to aerate it, you'll soon have rich, nutrient-filled compost for your garden.
Just be careful not to add too many leaves at once. If you don't have enough green material to balance them out, you can always keep the extra leaves stored nearby and add them gradually as needed.
Taking to the comments of the Dragon Den's star post, one said: "There was no other woman who could convince me as they pick up a pair of leaves how delicious they are and what they do for the Planet. You are just fantastic."
Another joked: "Unfortunately, Deborah, it just gets a bit too messy in the garden so I won't be investing and I'm out." A third commented: "Even weirder (do I care?) I go out sweeping up leaves on the pavements near me and take them to my allotment to leave and turn into leaf mould! It's brilliant stuff! I also consider it a public service as I'm clearing the wet, slippy leaves from pavements."