Now that the leaves are spread throughout the soil (i.e., not concentrated together like in a compost heap) my limited understanding of the decomposition process tells me that fungi will be the main type of organism breaking down your leaves rather than the more rapid bacteria of a compost pile. Valerie has a good point about encouraging the decomposition process w/lactobacteria (see the "One of the best recipe..." posts in this forum.) The worst-case scenario is that you might have a little fun playing alchemist. The best-case is that you'll be adding nutrient availability to your plants and hopefully digesting--vicariously at least--all the leaves in the process. If you have access to used coffeegrounds, you could also dig them in around plants if you're concerned about nitrogen availability. They also might encourage earthworm reproduction and bacterial decomposition of your leaves.

Thank you so much for all your suggestions and support! I buried Bagel yesterday. After lots of research, I finally just stopped by a native plants nursery near the forest. Bleeding Heart and Columbine beat out Foamflower for looks, all had lovely foliage. But I ended up settling on Hay-scented Fern. It's much more tactile, and somehow seemed much more Bagel the Ferrety - the others seemed too ornamental/fragile or something for his (or my, really) personality. He has an honorary fern now. Think it should be renamed Bagel Fern. And yes, I did discover upon enquiry at the nursery that really no plant that will survive the winter in the wild can do well in a pot. And that almost no plant will be ready for taking a cutting in less than a couple years after planting. And that few plants take well from seeds. So... I bought two ferns, planted one, and will see if I can keep the other around on balconies, etc., and get a third for my mom's yard where we'll have another memorial. If I can come back in a few years and take a cutting from the wild fern, I'll do that. So anyway, thank you all again. The strange and unexpected things about all this are that 1) I can see having an interest in gardening now; this from a very non-planty person, and 2) it helped me get more over a bit of a plant phobia caused by a really bad poison ivy run-in last summer. Thanks. - Karen

Phone is giving me fits, so I'm having to break my messages into small bits. Working in Garden today. Dug up a crepe myrtle that's getting too much shade, pink flowers, I will bring if someone wants it. Also and bringing some irises that were marked in one place as spuria and in another place as Louisiana. Whatever they are, they will grow. Have mother of millions, Cast Iron Plant, false aloe, Lamb's Ear, trumpet vine, Pink four o'clocks, several pots of flame acanthus, comfrey, Jewel of opar that I accidentally broke and stuck into a pot just this minute, little bit of lemon mint, some red Yucca, just tiny babies that I started from seed. If anyone wants, I can bring some pecan and Oak seedlings. They are very heavy and take up room so ask if you want. At least one pot of pigeon Berry. oddly enough, I have some horse herb. I planted something, forget what, and horse herb came up. Have something that I think is white mulberry, and a bunch of seeds, some pots, to seed starting trays with pots, a pair of in-line skates, and ttwo Willow wreath for crafts.

Linda, I do have roses but I don't think I should share with anyone right now. I've lost 3 to Rose rosette disease this year and numerous others for no apparent reason the past two years. Maybe it was also Rose rosette and they just didn't show the obvious signs. Marshall's Grain is having an awesome sale so I picked up extra's of a few things. See if any of these interest you. Bougainvillea cassandra plant Luna hibiscus Plumbago (light blue flowers) Santa Barbara Mexican Bush Sage white trailing lantana I don't think this is the same as Sylvia's plumbago. This is not a ground cover type and has light blue flowers.