December in the Santa Cruz Mountains Garden
By Josh Reilly
Maybe the best thing about December in SLV gardens is the slow pace. There is almost nothing urgent to do. Four months ago, I spent time in the garden every day, watering, weeding, and worrying about one thing or another (usually gophers). In December, however, the memory of that non-stop whirl of activity has faded. The only major annual maintenance item needing our attention in December, is the fallen leaves and conifer needles piling up in our yards. Even if you don’t have your own trees, your neighbors probably have plenty. Leaves don’t really acknowledge fences and property lines. That’s OK, though, if you think of the leaves and needles as a gift.
Fall is a time of transition. It’s almost as if Nature itself awoke with a jolt from late Summer afternoon nap. Still foggy with sleep, it jumped up and began fumbling with the thermostat, twisting it too much this way, then that way. And now, warm air from the interior, or cool, moist air off the sea, is flowing in and out of the slopes and hollows of the Valley. Temperatures are fluctuating as much as 40 F in 24 hours.
In response to this signal, the accumulation of “degree-hours” below a certain threshold temperature, the trees put on a dazzling Fall color review. The light under a Fall leaf canopy is unlike anything else in this world. Somehow, the leaves seem not to block the light and cast shadows, but rather to catch it and pour it back into the air. Standing under the Fall canopy, is not unlike standing, in awe, in the interior of a cathedral, with afternoon light pouring through stained glass.
Leaving duff in place provides a habitat for forest organisms and decomposes to add organic matter to the soil. (Photo by Josh Reilly)
Still, the show comes to an end and the brilliant color fades. Then, something must be done about the leaves. In my view, the less we do, the better. For as long as there have been trees, there has been leaf litter (sometimes called “duff”), below them. It provides a habitat for forest organisms and decomposes to add organic matter to the soil, without which the trees do not thrive and the next generation of trees would not grow and in time, shed their own leaves. This ancient and harmonious system has been functioning beautifully for eons. Best to meddle with it as little as possible. I rake or blow leaves off my gravel paths and patio, and my driveway, but I don’t toss most of them out. My “lawn”, a small patch of mixed Fescue grasses in the shade, also requires some “de-leafing.” Fortunately, the Persimmon which shades it, drops most of its leaves almost all at once, making their removal easy. I spread all these leaves, about 6” deep, on my dirt paths and other areas where there might otherwise be bare soil. As I may have noted, in previous columns, bare soil is an affront to all that is good, right and true in the garden. It’s a wasteland. The Desolation of Smaug, comes to mind (Thank you JRR Tolkien). Spread on my dirt paths, the fallen leaves shade out the weed seedlings and prevent them from growing. In late Spring or Summer, I can rake them up and dump them in the compost pile or just leave them. It beats spraying herbicides or hand-pulling the weeds. It’s perhaps untidy, but I like the natural look.
As for the rest of the fallen leaves, in planted areas, under the trees and shrubs, etc, I do almost nothing. I remove enough to allow in a little light for photosynthesis, but even that is probably a bit over-protective. Perennials, such as Brunnera, Helleborus, and Heuchera, will grow right through a layer of leaves. Bulb shoots merely push them aside. So I try to leave the rest of the litter alone. Be patient. The earthworms will take care of it. They are small and it takes them time, but they will get the job done.
Josh Reilly, aka Uncle Skip, writes about seasonal gardening from his home in beautiful Ben Lomond, California.
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