I did leave last year's shredded leaves on the beds over the winter but then that's buried under new fall leaves as it's too far into cold weather to shred the new leaves and reapply for winter. Leaves don't stop falling until around Thanksgiving and we generally get our first frost (if not snow) by Halloween. I grow mostly non-fussy perennial ornamentals under the oaks at the moment but hoping to find something edible to interplant - maybe fruiting shrubs of some type. I grow elderberries in part shade but they don't get enough sun (or moisture?) to flower. I grow all of my greens, carrots and radishes in pots - they like it better than my garden soil.
