THE high winds of the past few weeks have seen leaves floating down from on high in seemingly inexhaustible numbers.

The lawn is where they will be most noticeable. However, they will also land on beds, borders, paths and pools.

On the lawn, rake them gently into small heaps and cart them away. They can go on the compost heap but as they take a long time to become usable compost, they are best either burned, and the ash placed on the heap, or put into polythene sacks which can then be sealed till the leaves have rotted down and become usable leaf mould.

On beds and borders they can be both a help and a hindrance. If you have delicate plants that will be over-wintering outside, they will help keep the fingers of early frost at bay.

They do harbour pests though, so on balance, it is perhaps best to remove them and use a protection of your own choosing for your delicate plants.

On paths and driveways, leaves are a positive menace. They soon become slippery and dangerous so they must be swept away.

Again sweep them into small heaps which can be cleared as you go. All too often, one gigantic heap will fall prey to a mischievous wind and be scattered once more about the garden.

In pools, leaves can do a lot of damage. They foul the water and eventually rob it of its oxygen content; if there are fish in the pool, they will soon die.

The best solution to this problem is to spread a large net over the pool.

This will catch the leaves which may then be removed at regular intervals.