The neighborhood nazis here are VERY strict about maintaining an attractive yard free of debris/weeds/etc. So my question to the forum is this: How do you make soil amendment attractive? I can't leave my entire lawn strewn with a three foot layer of leaves and coffee grounds.

I am thinking about creating large fenced sections of compost along one edge of my backyard and circling trees... but truly, that is still an eyesore. Planting something in the muck would make a difference, but wouldn't it just get buried as I add more organic matter? And what about the rest of the yard that gets left out? I'd love to hear how others have handled this.

Tortoise

There are some nice raised bed options too, if you don't mind spending a bit more. Many of them are modular, so you could just keep adding sections as your lasagna areas get larger.

Let us know how you do.

I do mulch mow, but only after raking most of the leaves up first. There are SO MANY leaves that fall here, that if I mulch mowed all of them, I would just have a solid layer of chopped leaves and no grass to speak of. I guess I'm a bit impatient, and mulch mowing doesn't seem dramatic enough. At this rate of mowing, I'll finally have decent soil right about the time that I'm supposed to be six feet beneath it.

The long term plan is this, then: Create a fenced off compost layer on one edge of my backyard. Over a few years it will get pretty high - a few feet at least. I can then plant a few ornamentals in it and create another tier below that one. I can continue that tiered effect over the years. One eyesore at a time, eh? It will invite earthworms and simultaneously take care of my drainage problem (I hope!). I'll try to post pictures when the process begins this autumn =)

Tortoise