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Don't throw your leaves away - make leaf mould. This description is taken from the BBC's website.
If you have space, create a wire mesh container 90cm x 90cm (3ft x3ft) using a length of chicken wire attached to four sturdy posts, leaving it open at the top and bottom.
Site this on the ground and fix posts firmly, using a heavyweight mallet.
If you have limited space, simply take several bin liners and make a few holes in the bottom of the bags.
Collect leaves after a shower of rain and either add them to your wire container or pack them into the bin liners. Ensure the leaves are tightly packed.
If you have a lawn, add some grass cuttings - up to 25 per cent of the total bulk. Or to make the process even quicker, leave the leaves on the lawn and let the mower shred them so you have a ready mix of grass cuttings and shredded leaves.
Leave either your leaf-mould heap or your bin liners for a year, undisturbed. After this time, the leaves will have rotted down sufficiently to be added to the soil or spread as a mulch.
After two years of rotting, you will have a very fine leaf-mould that can be used as a potting compost.
Which leaves should I use?
Best examples are oak, beech or hornbeam
Sycamore, horse chestnut and sweet chestnut leaves are tougher and take longer to rot down unless shredded prior to being added to your heap.
Conifer and evergreen leaves tend to take longer to rot down - between two to three years - and are best shredded.
Pine needles take a long time but the resulting acidic mould can be used for acid-loving plants.
