The large Sycamore at the back of the garden drops its leaves quite late in the year. The surrounding area is carpeted in golden brown for a week or so, turning soggy brown as the leaves begin to decompose and merge with the soil.
 I rake them up along the path but leave the rest where they are. The raked leaves go in a wire mesh bin to make leafmould.
 

 A separate pile for leaves is preferable to putting them straight onto a compost heap. Leaves break down by fungal action (rather than bacterial) which is a slower process at cooler temperatures. Adding a mass of autumnal leaves to an existing compost heap unbalances the biology at work.