Leaves, Leaves and more Leaves

[Strong]

Detroit has got to have the most leaves in the country. Almost every street has some number of trees and especially in the neighborhoods there are trees in front of 90% of the houses. I suspect that the Greening of Detroit has something to do with the surge of trees.


When I lived in Rosedale Park, I had four huge trees in my yard, with one tree in my driveway where we had to drive around it to get in the backyard.

So then as I do now with only 2 trees at my new house, I only rake up the leaves once when I see the trees are almost bare. I will rake them into a pile and push that pile up against the house about midway through the leaves dropping season but I'll only complete the job in the end.

To me all trees do is give shade and add beauty to the landscape and maybe make oxygen [[right) and they kill the grass in your yard with their roots.

But I'll say that our trees look better than California palm trees.

Trees another reason why this is The Great Detroit.

[5speedz34]

Driving on the eastside on Warren today, I was thinking the exact same thing. There are blocks that are in definite decline or completely gone yet they are still tree-lined which does wonders for the city.

[Cincinnati_Kid]

Just think of how many more trees we would have if thousands were'nt wiped out by elm disease in the 60's and 70's.

[Gannon]

As I wander through my new neighborhood of Grosse Pointe Park, I often wonder why they missed losing their elms...they must've not been as closely planted together. Because there are still a few stately elms trees towering over my often walks and jogs through this place...


...and while I'd previously teased anyone who used a leaf-blower instead of old-tech rakes, after this current fall dumping in our front yard...I'm an unrepentant leaf blower now. Way more fun than raking, and just as good of exercise! At least ours is electric...I might not have the same attitude if I were directly buring petrol.

[Ray1936]

Anyone here old enough to remember when you burned your leaves at the curb? The smell was delightful. Well, if you were a kid, it was delightful.

[DetroitPlanner]

Just think of how many more trees we would have if thousands were'nt wiped out by elm disease in the 60's and 70's.

There were programs to replace wiped out trees back then. Greening of Detroit is still doing it. I don't think the City's tree canopy is worse for wear in terms of leave generated. Quality of trees however have declined.

[Cincinnati_Kid]

Anyone here old enough to remember when you burned your leaves at the curb? The smell was delightful. Well, if you were a kid, it was delightful.

Hate to admit it Ray, but I'm old enough to remember that aroma.

[MikeM]

I disagree. As I fly around the country, Detroit from the air appears to be one of the most barren cities of its size.

[MidTownMs]

Hate to admit it Ray, but I'm old enough to remember that aroma.

I also remember that crackling sound when the leaves were burning. We used to roast marshmallows and hot dogs over the fire.

[DetroitPlanner]

I disagree. As I fly around the country, Detroit from the air appears to be one of the most barren cities of its size.

You think thats bad look at Phoenix or Las Vegas.

[Kathleen]

Anyone here old enough to remember when you burned your leaves at the curb? The smell was delightful. Well, if you were a kid, it was delightful.

One of my favorite childhood memories!!!

We kids would rake the leaves from the back fence to the street for several houses...then ride our bikes through the piles til it got dark...rake the leaves back into one large pile...and then set the bonfire and watch!!!!

Beautiful to watch....enjoying the smell of burning leaves...and enjoying time spent with the neighbors!!!

[poobert]

Anyone here old enough to remember when you burned your leaves at the curb? The smell was delightful. Well, if you were a kid, it was delightful.

Why can't we do this anymore? I'm about as environmentally friendly as they come but it's not like they magically disappear if you don't burn them. I have bonfires anyway, what's the difference?

[Wheels]

Why can't we do this anymore? I'm about as environmentally friendly as they come but it's not like they magically disappear if you don't burn them. I have bonfires anyway, what's the difference?

AHHHHH........ Maybe fire bad in Detroit?

[gazhekwe]

It was the air quality thing. Back in the 60s, air quality in Detroit was bad. Lots of dirty industry, lots of cars with no pollutant controls, lots of coal burning. When they started to crack down on it, one of the first things to go was leaf burning.

I wish we could do it this year, because our whole neighborhood has black spot fungus on the maples and you are supposed to "get rid of" the leaves, not keep them in compost in your yard. Well, getting rid of them means sending them off to the city compost, which apparently will spread the fungus.

[detroitsgwenivere]

The neighbors in my boyfriends hood were burning their leaves at the curb last sat. Of course, they also keep pigeon stands nailed all over their house...

[Honky Tonk]

"One of my favorite childhood memories!!!

We kids would rake the leaves from the back fence to the street for several houses...then ride our bikes through the piles til it got dark...rake the leaves back into one large pile...and then set the bonfire and watch!!!!

Beautiful to watch....enjoying the smell of burning leaves...and enjoying time spent with the neighbors!!!"

Mom would wrap potatoes in Reynolds Wrap and stick them under the leaves. After raking leaves in the cold and the big burn, we would enjoy baked potatoes.

[Gistok]

Burning he leaves was fun way back when... but getting the smoke in your eyes... not so much fun...

I'm glad that it was banned... the smell would permeate the neighborhood for a long time, and it wasn't anything pleasant...

And as for trees... in the 1960s the city was a canopy of large elms that kept the houses cooler in the summer. What did they replace them with when the Dutch Elm disease decimated the green canopy over the city? Crappy fast growing trees like Sycamore and Locust. [[Well Locust aren't so bad... except they're a pain to rake and remove from gutters.)

Detroit only has a fraction of the tree canopy it had before the Dutch Elm disease... so the number of leaves today are only a fraction of what once was....

[agirlintheD]

Ray, I'm old enough to remember as well. Thanks for the bit of nostalgia!

[Lowell]

Anyone here old enough to remember when you burned your leaves at the curb? The smell was delightful. Well, if you were a kid, it was delightful.

I could smell them as I read your post. You are inspiring me to burn a bucket of them to smell them again.

[Strong]

I remember burning the leaves and that comment about cooking bake potato in the fire was impressive.

All the fun I have with leaves now, i when my kids help rake them into the piles and we wrestle in them before pushing them up against the house.

[Strong]

Speaking of leaves, these people are planting trees in the park:

[Honky Tonk]

Thanx. I'm in....

[old guy]

I could smell them as I read your post. You are inspiring me to burn a bucket of them to smell them again.

I have a fire pit in my back yard and toss a bunch of leaves in it while I'm having a fire every fall just for the nostalgia. I also installed a wooden screen door on my front door a few years ago and adjusted the tension on the spring so it just has a slight slap when it closes. That sound always brings back the same type of memories for me. I also remember people burning leaves in the street on Halloween when we'd actually trick or treat starting at dark.

[jackie5275]

I remember burning leaves as a kid too in the 70s. In Dearborn, you're expected to bag them to send with your yard waste, mulch them with your mower, or rake them into the street where DPS picks them up on your scheduled day which is once during the season.

[mauser]

i am going to burn some leaves tonight...but instead of piling them on the curb, i am going to wrap them in tiny pieces of paper...i agree, the smell is quite enchanting.