Leaf bags for mulching beds. Compliments of ‘The Village of Jamestown’

Thank you Jamestown

Since 2004, we have been the willing recipient of the collected leaves from the Village of Jamestown each fall. The village, which would have normally had to truck to leaves to the recycling center on the west side of Xenia, is able to drive three miles east of town and dump the bags in the drive at English Garden Farm.

The garden covers approximately 3 acres and contains hundreds if not thousands of plants and the number is increasing every year. Most of the three acres is under cultivation, with the only grass being in the pathways and in areas not yet prepared for other planting.

The purchase of enough mulch to properly cover this garden is simply out of the question financially. Jamestown’s leaves have been a real boon to our ability to develop and improve the garden. The leaves, still in their bags, are stored in a large area behind the barn, covered with heavy plastic (in the hope that they will not soak up a lot of wetness – read: those bags can get really HEAVY).

Come spring, they will be spread over the bare-earth parts of the garden (a condition which exists only because there hasn’t been enough time or funds to COVER EVERY SQUARE INCH – but we’re working on it) to a depth of 4-6”. We generally try to do this after the worst of the spring winds has abated but while the ground is nicely moist from the spring rains. The weed control and level of moisture conservation that results is nothing short of amazing, not to ignore the continual supply of new, organic material which is added over the course of the season to our predominately clay garden soil.

Natural methods for soil improvement and pest control are preferred here and the leaves certainly help toward that goal. We are grateful to the citizens of Jamestown for their contribution to the garden to the staff of the Village of Jamestown for cooperation and fine efforts in our behalf.