When I lived in MD, I'd pile the leaves in the gardens while my neighbors removed all theirs. Then come Spring, my bulbs were up weeks before theirs. And I left my Canna korns in the ground all winter. They never froze. And rarely had to add any bagged mulch.
Last year I volunteered to rake up a friends pine needles. They have been "cooking" out in my compost pile. I'll soon be spread them on the garden.
