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Egganddart49, We both are using almost the same kind of leaves, thus we have a great example of what the leaves are doing and how different zones interact with basically the same kind of leaves. To me, gardening is about "point of view", how you look at it if you will. When I look at what you are saying this is what I see: Your zone is cooler than mine, thus you will have slower decomposition in your garden. The leaves you put down in the winter sat there due to low temperatures. What the leaves did is act like a security blanket for your garden. When rain or snow piled up on the leaves the water seeped through, not flowed. As the water seeped in it took some of the nutrients from the leaves into the soil with it. Because of the limiting effect of the leaves you suffered less leaching in your soil, this causes you to need less amendments for your plants. As well, you added nutrients from the leaves all winter long, this is a very good thing. When spring came you had to move those pesky leaves out the way, but what did you find underneath? You discovered soft tender soil, moist and happy that you are the owner of the garden. They proved their gratitude by giving you a good crop, and paid you back by making sure you did less work in the process. Shoot, if you stopped concerning yourself with how many leaves are still there and focus on what you want to better improve next years crop who knows what you will end up with. Now ole Blutranes on the other hand lives where it is mild in the winter. His mulch gets chomped on by the microbes the minute it gets warm enough outside. By spring most of his leaves are gone, but his soil is ready to go too. Blutranes enjoys the same benefit you enjoy, water seeps into his soil too; he gets those minerals from his leaves as well. Blutranes can plant earlier, but Egganddart can still grows just as good as Blutranes can in less time. They both are given extra time for other things due to some leaves they put on their gardens. Blutranes is sitting at his computer looking for more wisdom from others to use that extra time on. Egganddart can now make a decision what Egganddart wants to pull outta Eggs' hat next. Work in the garden is good, less work even better IMO. I conclude that you have discovered a way to do more with less and save some money, and get a mater or two out the deal. Sounds like a plan over here Blutranes

sounds good, i will plan to do this in the spring... minimally in the areas that are really bad. And yes Zoysia... there are a lot of small townships in my area that collect their citizen's leaves. All they have to do is rake them to the edges of their yards and the township vacuums them up and shreds them. The one that i found that has the large amount of all stages of shredded leaves is from an area that is really old, so there are huge mature trees everywhere. I suppose the residents in that area don't want enough back, so they have it open to everyone. I have already collect a ton of the fresh shredded leaves to mulch my perennial beds. You are noted to be near St Louis, so you just search the web for townships, towns, etc to see if anyone does it around you area. And if they state that it's only for their residents, still ask... because i ran into this at two other locations and the "manager" of the site was more then willing to give some away to help clear the collection a bit to non-residents

Thought you might want an update ;) So we purchased these items back in February. We recently discovred that we were given two different black crown moldings with look very very similar but were actually just a tad bit off in measurement and in the design profile. Also, we ordered regular toe kick but they put down to give us a really expensive decorative wood bottom that we really didn't want because it didn't fit under our cabinets. Soo...I called them up and told them what happened. We went down there today and met with the manager. He is refunding our money! AND ordering us all new crown and kick plates in the hickory color! AND we get the refunded difference for the kickplates, which means all new free crown AND a $140.00 giftcard! How lucky am I?