Legolas's Green Leaf Blower

[alatar]

Where have all the mallorns gone
Long time passin'
Where have all the mallorns gone
A long, long time ago

- with apologies to Pete Seeger.

Some time ago, summer turned cold and, as every year, the leaves turned color then fell to the ground. Though I have but one tree in the yard, the backyard lawn gets covered in leaves from the trees in the neighborhood, and I swear that there's some type of wind vortex that keeps stray leaves from, well, leaving the yard. When most of the trees are safely bare, I go out with the leaf blower and pile them up under the kids' tree swing so that they can enjoy the summer/fall for the few remaining days before winter appears. After the kids mulch and scatter the leaves, I go out and herd them back together (the kids and the leaves), and bag them (the leaves, not the kids ) for the garbage.

While 'enjoying' this fall ritual, it suddenly came to me: What do the Galadhrim of Lothlórien do with the fallen mallorn leaves? Yes, I know that the trees keep their leaves until Spring, but, when they fall, what?

I suppose if they were to be left where they'd fallen, eventually this would kill the lawns upon which the elves dance. Leaves can be composted, but I thought that in Lorien there is no stain or decay. Are they dumped into the Celebrant and Anduin? Trucked over to Dol Guldur and thrown in Sauron the Necromancer's lawn? Sent to Moria to be burned by the Balrog? And just how much mallorn leaf garland can you use?