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 ONE TOWN'S TRASH BECOMES GARDEN TREASURE
Since 2005 we willingly become the recipient of all the collected leaves from the Village of Jamestown. The village, which would have normally had to truck the leaves to the recycling center at the west side of Xenia is able to drive three miles East of town and dump them in the drive at English Garden Farm.
WHY: The garden covers approximately two acres and currently contains nearly 400 different kinds of trees and shrubs with more being added almost weekly. Nearly all of the garden is under cultivation, with the only grass being in the pathways and in areas not yet prepared for other planting. 'We cannot afford to purchase enough mulch to do the job in a garden this size', said Craig Jaynes, the garden's designer and plantsman. "Jamestown's leaves have been a real boon to our ability to develop and improve the garden. The leaves are used like mulch to cover the ground between plants. They keep weeds under better control and help conserve moisture. By winter they have broken down and will help improve the soil. We try to use natural methods in this garden and the leaves help us to achieve that goal."
English Garden Farm is happy to share it's methodologies with visitors and encourages the recycling of natural materials to lessen the burden on towns and villages, for soil improvement, and for environmental health.
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