Today as I am raking and adding to a new 10ft x 15ft compost pile #3 I am becoming well aware of our vast variety of plant material. Over last seven years I have added many different species and genus to our landscape.

Along with the fact that our landscape backs up to a farmers Oak savanna once used as pasture for cows. I miss seeing the cows grazing in the savanna, for it added much charm to our rural setting.

The leaves that I have gathered thus far (common names) come from maples, ash, walnut, oak, butternut, cherry, mulberry, and elm. While the leaves from shrubs include hydrangeas, lilacs, forsythia, viburnums, chokecherry, witch hazel, and dogwoods.

This wide variety along with the evergreens give the birds a natural food source and protection in a natural habitat.

Our pond at present has a tented net over it at , but still there is access to water at the water fall for birds and mammals.

For the past two weeks I have been chipping branches and leaves for compost. The organic material has been added to several of my island beds. I also have two rather large compost bins which have been filling up rather quickly.

My point being is that the natural nutrients from these decomposing plant materials are a great source for the shrubs and herbaceous plant material in my gardens. Thus simulating a rather natural woodland bed.

Fertilizer with man made alternatives is fine to a point, but nothing beats natural decomposition as a nutrient for growth and production of flower.

May your composting efforts be worthy of time spent to gather and let time produce nutrients for your gardens.

Fall is a great time for transplanting , pruning, and dividing. So if you have not already given time to propagating by dividing. Time to take out fork and shovel to help out over crowded beds.