I often use wood chips from the crews that trim the power lines. If I see them within a couple of miles of home, I stop and ask if they would be willing to drop them off at my home. Usually it is closer than any alternative dump site and they don't have to pay to dump it if they use my yard, so the only time they have said no was when someone else had already asked them for the load. I like the fact that organic mulches disappear quickly since it means that they are adding nutrients and organic matter to my soil. I just plan to renew them every couple of years or top dress more lightly annually.

We rarely have leaf litter available. Either it's in the woods and I want to leave it there, or it came down on lawn and has already been used somewhere. There is never enough leaf litter for all the things we want it for.

I'm also a huge fan of arborist chips in woodland setting. Many local tree companies give them for free (usually a full truck, about 5-7 yards). They decompose pretty fast adding nutrients to the soil so should be spread on regular basis, like once a year or so, depending on thickness.

+3 on the woodchips. All organic mulch materials will eventually decompose-some faster than others 'tis true-but free is a huge advantage in my view, and the decomposition is not a complete loss, the material enriching the soil in the process. I like s8's idea too.

+om

Thanks to you all! (Wood chips are so heavy!! ;-) ). I think that is my best bet. Ironically I visited a garden last weekend through the Garden Conservancy Open Days, and they had a deep woodland garden. I asked the homeowner about leaves, and apparently, my goal is to plant naturalizing ground cover plants, and they will come up through the leaves in the spring...thus, hiding the offensive leaves. I best be getting planting!! So...on that note, any reco's on fast growing plants? She had Solomons Seal, Woodland Poppy. Bleeding Heart, ferns, ferns, and more ferns...I need to cover some serious ground! At least we have a ton of ferns I can move in the spring. :-)

If you can find an unlimited source of free wood chips and want to haul and spread those every year for the next 50 years of your life...nifty. If you have free leaves falling from your trees...even better.

Not at all sure why leaves-in a woodland garden no less-would be considered "offensive". In fact, I find that idea mildly offensive, lol! But yes, some of the ferns, most notably, rhizomatous species like ostrich fern, sensitive fern, et al, will cover lots of ground, and I guess....lots of leaves.

+oM

Leaves are so beautiful in a woodland garden. I love walking through our woods that are littered with leaves. Those are my favorite paths, and that is why in my own woodland garden, I let the stuff stay where it falls.