Will it be okay if I leave leaves in my garden beds at home? My work schedule is heavy this fall and I need some time to relax on weekends versus spending hours picking up leaves.

— Alfredo Alvarez, Highwood

My time for gardening at home is very limited, too, so I look for ways to make my gardening time more efficient. I also prefer a more natural look to my garden, which, fortunately, is easier to maintain, so I adjust my maintenance routines accordingly.

Leaves are now falling and starting to pile up in my garden. The usual fall routine for many gardeners is to remove all the leaves and either bag them up or pile them at the curb for transportation to a landscape waste facility, where they are turned into compost. I have left leaves in my garden beds at home for more than 25 years wit

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