You can never have too much money or mulch.

The shorter days, cooler temperatures and rain that we've had here in Central Texas has produced a bonanza for me. Free mulch for the taking. Already bagged and just begging for me to haul it away. Brazenly I walk my wheel barrow down the street and load up the bags. Sure, the neighbors think I'm nuts, but they are all very nice to me and it's lovely to chat with them while I'm thieving their leaves.

There is a good reason for me to be happy to dump leaves in my yard - as opposed to raking and bagging like everyone else. Leaves make great mulch. They can help protect plants against the cold and add much needed organic matter to these heavy Texas clay soils.

The type of leaves determine how they will be used in my yard. Oak leaves (like the lovely Spanish Oak pictured above) are Texas tough and take longer to break down into humus. These are perfect to be placed in my garden pathways. Just me walking and running the wheel barrow over them will break them up and eventually grind them into little bits. Texas Ash leaves, on the other hand, are fine little things. I consider them the southern belle of the leaf world, and put them right on top of my flower and vegetable beds. They work perfectly to form a nice weed prevention mat that can be turned under or pushed aside next spring as I begin seeding or transplanting.

The other handy thing about stealing leaf bags is that I can lay the empties down in the pathways as a longer term weed barrier. I put the oak leaves right on top of them. The combination should last for at least two years before needing replaced.

The one trick to using freshly gathered leaves is to make sure you weigh them down so they don't end up blowing back into the neighbors yard. If the leaves are dry when I unbag them, I hose them down thoroughly after I've spread them around. I then sprinkle compost or some loose soil on top to make sure everything stays in place. I may go out and water them down occasionally if they start to dry out and try to wander away.

Free mulch. Handy paper bags. I'm a happy girl.