There’s a Buddhist teaching from Guru Rinpoche—an 8th-century master who played a central role in bringing Buddhism to Tibet—that says, “If you want to know your past life, look into your present condition. If you want to know your future life, look at your present actions.” It can be applied to modern-day scenarios such as planning for health, saving for a child’s college education, or retirement. It can also be applied to things with shorter timeframes such as fall gardening.
October began with a heat wave in the Bay Area. Some plants are still flowering, many trees still have green leaves and plants are sprouting new growth. However, fall has just begun and has a couple more months to go. Colder temperatures, trees dropping their leaves, perennials dying back and annuals dying completely are some garden changes just around the corner.
Now is a good time to start looking at tools and apparel specifically adapted for fall gardening. Having them before you need them is just the type of action that will let you know that your future gardening will be better.
Fallen leaves often create the most work. Even the season’s name recognizes this. People began calling the harvest season “fall of the leaf” in the 1500s in England. It was shortened to fall in the 1600s. It makes sense that there would be some tools to make leaf pick-up easier.
Leaf rakes are a specific type of lightweight rake designed to gather leaves without disturbing or damaging the lawn, ground cover, mulched or graveled areas the leaves have fallen on. They have a large fan-shaped head to cover more ground with each motion. They have thin flexible steel, aluminum, plastic or bamboo tines.
Daniel O’Donnell
Daniel O’Donnell
