You may choose to rake up all of the fallen leaves on your property, but if you can do these two things with them, your yard -- and the planet -- will benefit. First, leaves are an excellent organic material to add to compost piles or to use as mulch around plants to help insulate them during the winter months. Second, don't disturb fallen leaves around your trees' root zones; over time, they'll decompose and add much-needed nutrients for the trees to grow and be healthy. It works in forests, so it should work in your own yard.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

It might seem counterintuitive, but when you're cleaning up your garden, flowerbeds and/or yard this fall, leave as much dead plant material as you can. Piles of leaves, dried flowers and other dead plants give beneficial insects like bees and ladybugs a place to shelter during the frigid winter months. Even our feathered friends can benefit from this practice: The insects burrowing in dead plants offer a protein-rich meal to help birds survive the cold.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

Do you have a junk drawer or an office desk drawer overflowing with random cords and cables for electronics, phones and other devices? If you're unsure what goes with what, you can declutter and recycle your cords. Many national electronics retailers will happily take the cords for recycling, at no charge to you. So what's in it for them? They can recycle the copper inside the cords! It's a win-win: You get to clean up, and you keep electronic waste out of the landfill.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION