It would be difficult for some plants to come up through a layer of leaves that thick, while other plants would be just fine. Since you don't know what you have, I would rake the leaves out of the bed and then run them over with a lawnmower a few times. That will reduce the volume quite a bit and also help the leaves break down into compost much more quickly. Then you can return a nice thick layer back to that garden and any other areas that could do with a nice mulch. If you have more leaves than beds, then you could start a traditional compost pile, or put them on your lawn and run them over a few more times with the mower till they get chopped into tiny bits that can be left in place to break down and improve your lawn. A mulching mower or just installing a mulching blade on your existing mower would help accomplish this quickly. If nothing comes up you like in your shady side yard, allow me to recommend Japanese Painted Ferns. They do well in our heat as long as they are well shaded and in rich soil. Mine multiply and thrive.

Sounds like you had a great day. I try to fit birding in as often as I have time and appreciate those moments of surprise as when a flock of honking Canada geese flew overhead this evening. The afternoon was spent planting pansies that Lowe's had for 25 cents each. These are rebound pansies that come back in the spring. These last two flats were added to ones that were planted earlier this fall. Had to rescue them, but the big question was where to plant them. Did the same thing last year and was happy to see the pansies in the early spring. Also planted a few bulbs, cut back hostas and a few perennials, cleaned out pots of annuals, picked up fallen apples, filled bird feeders, cleaned bird bath, and bagged a few leaves, . It was a beautiful day for fall cleanup. Tomorrow I will wash windows then blow and mulch leaves so I can fertilize the lawn. The new bed with late planted perennials is already mulched with leaves. Neighbors have been sharing their leaves with me but I need many more so will be cruising the neighborhood to pick up bags. Next week will bring dahlias/calla lilies/cannas/ in pots down to the basement for the winter. Also will bring in the last of the plants that I want to winter over inside. Bobbie

Jennifer —-(Spraying with Neem Oil and or and other mixtures to eradicate the insects organically could still harm those beneficial insects. Some people will just let those pest stay on the tree because they dont want to harm them. Its a difficlt choice to make for some and you need to understand that some bad infestations that might get out of hand and could cause your trees to become weak and allow other diseses to slowly kill your tree. i always try and let Mother Nature work on the right balance of the pest verses the beneficial insets to keep everything in check. But sometimes i will have to step in and use more than organic to combact the problem. its up to you to decide what is best for your tree. Laura Even those that eat leaves ___ Katydids 🌺

I hate to see you spend money on materials, but yes, it would heat it up, I think. Don't let Starbucks discourage you---I don't think they will; they advertise about their "green-ness". I find it helps if I stand aside and wait until they ask if they can help me. Then I say, "I'm a gardener. I wonder if this is a good time to get some grounds." I say that, because often they have a trash can ready to be emptied. Warning: I never get glass or trash in my Starbucks grounds, but some people have. I don't know about mice. I've never really seen them in my piles, but they're definitely around---building straw nests in plant pots in my shed, and they filled a empty bee hive, stored in my old chicken house, with insulation. Water makes an inhospitable environment for them. I think people attempt to discourage them by keeping the pile damp. You can make nice compost using just the feedstock that your wife is comfortable with---or you could mention old_dirt's blue gills, which might make some fruit additions seem like a happy compromise. Pumpkins can generate a lot of heat, but squirrels like them, so they'd probably attract mice. I once read that yarrow was a compost accelerator. My compost pile is just where I put stuff that doesn't have to go to the landfill, so I have some piles that don't heat up, but they still produce compost in a year. My leaf piles take longer, but are well worth the wait. I really, really like to make compost, so I'm willing to be a little more eccentric than most people. Your kitchen sink gray water is a source of water that could be captured and put on your pile, if you don't mind slopping water through the house.