Fallen Leaves Are in the Bag

In the falling-leaf derby getting underway, the old wood-slatted bushel basket I paid a quarter for at someone’s garage sale can’t compete with the new 5 1/3-cubic-foot Bos Dumpster Bag I found at Hortus nursery in Pasadena.

True, the Bos bag cost $25, and it’s a little short on aesthetics, but at least it’s green and doesn’t leak sidewalk sweepings.

The bag folds as flat as a newspaper. A good thing, too, because finding room for anything larger than a newspaper in the garage would require a major cleaning.

The bag is a clever English invention made of some fiber-reinforced waterproof fabric, with flexible rods hidden in the seams that keep it open and upright. It won’t close just as you’re about to dump in a load of leaves, as other bags tend to. In fact, when you set it on the ground, a pointed bottom pops the thing open. Ingenious.

Toss leaves, weeds (that haven’t gone to seed), soft trimmings, grass clippings or whatever into the bag and cart them to the compost pile. They’ll make the best planting mix or mulch and be ready for the garden in spring.