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.

Thanks for the tip! And while I've never seen Japanese Painted Ferns in person, I've cut out magazine clippings of them - they're so pretty. This side area gets a little more sun (waiting for trees to leaf out to see just how much) but I'm definitely making a fern/hosta/woodland plant garden under the trees in the front yard!

Thanks for the tip! And while I've never seen Japanese Painted Ferns in person, I've cut out magazine clippings of them - they're so pretty. This side area gets a little more sun (waiting for trees to leaf out to see just how much) but I'm definitely making a fern/hosta/woodland plant garden under the trees in the front yard!

Thanks for the tip! And while I've never seen Japanese Painted Ferns in person, I've cut out magazine clippings of them - they're so pretty. This side area gets a little more sun (waiting for trees to leaf out to see just how much) but I'm definitely making a fern/hosta/woodland plant garden under the trees in the front yard!

Leave the leaves ! :)

If they're wet, mowing won't work very well. I would leave some or all of them there till spring, then peel them back and see what comes up. Anything you don't leave for mulch can be composted. Leaves by themselves will take a long time to make compost, so that pile won't by done by spring. Which is not necessarily a problem, just letting you know.

Next year when you know what you have in that area, leaf management will be more certain.

1 1/2 FEET of wet leaves?! Nothing will come up.

Even with less leaves if you have perennials once things start breaking through the surface it becomes much more difficult to rake, move the leaves or even move around yourself without damaging what's there.

Personally, I'd clean out the whole thing NOW while you can do so without damaging any plants and compost the leaves elsewhere until you figure out what you have and what you need to do for it.

This post was edited by subk3 on Tue, Jan 22, 13 at 21:50

Don't mow-mulch. It kills all the beneficial insects. Keep leaf piles over your plants until mid-spring, then, when removing, spread them throughout your garden. Over a couple of years, your soil will be fantastic humus, and butterfly pupae, bumblebees, frogs, turtles, etc. will be able to keep vital shelter. You'll also never need to buy wood chips.