I posted a while back when springtime was about to happen (sse below) and got some very useful advice. Fowwoling what was said, I did invest in a better lawnmower and cut the grass quite a bit more often than in previous years. I've even seeded, twice, but without much success, pêrhaps due to the low quality soil I have. And I've planted some low growing bushes, though do find that other bushes I have have expanded and taken over. Next year I'll do better .
Another problem though. After a mild autumn here, the leaves finally fell while I was away, and I've been out the last two weekends to rake 'em up and bag 'em. A friend advised me to use a lawn mower instead and save time. So I did on the flat parts (but not on the steeply terrassed areas and lesser slopes and around the bushes) and it's undoubdedly quicker with a machine. But am I doing my grass an injustice by chopping it down so late in the year with the mower, or does it simply not matter? And Question 2: Another friend said I shouldn't have picked up the leaves at all, as it's nature's way of refeeding the soil. Too late for that now - but was he right?

When I really took care of my lawn, I mowed it twice when it needed it, going down a strip, then pulling the mower back over the same grass I had just cut. Yes, it took twice as long, but it was worth it. Since I sharpened my blade every year, I knew that was cutting the grass as small as I could, which speeded up its decaying into basic compost. I never raked leaves; I just mowed them along with the grass. My lawn looked just as nice, just as green, just as lush, as my two neighbors who spent much more time and money on their lawns. Since my mower finally bit the dust (at age 15 or so), I haven't been able to cut my own grass; I pay someone to do it. The lawn hasn't looked good since I stopped doing it myself.

I agree with your friend.

As to question two: Yes, he is right. The Royal Horticultural Society at Wisley and Kew Gardens never clear the leaves from their grass.When asked about this by the presenter of a documentary about Wisley, that was the reply of the head gardener .

In Antibes the gardeners employ those annoying blowers to clear walking areas of lawns and paths but never sweep the leaves up : they simply blow them into the shrubs ! Must check the insurance policy: it seems a complete waste of time, but it may be the French insurers have had claims somewhere for slipping on fallen leaves in private gardens And here in Cambridgeshire we gave up clearing leaves away years and years ago when we decided that it was utterly pointless and their staying may benefit rather than harm. A garden is a garden, not a drawing room,so why tidy it like that? The leaves, even if they don't get blown away by the winds, won't do any hurt [Note: to be strictly accurate I should say that the drawing room here looks like a garden in Autumn all the time: if you substitute 'carpets and floor' for 'lawns' and 'newspapers, magazines, dog toys' for 'leaves', but you get the idea ]

Bagging is not needed - does not lead to other issues as once commonly thought.

I bag once a month simply because I add those clipping to my compost heap.

A compost heap is basically a heap of organic material which rots down into a black nutrient rich dirt. You will find big fat earth worms, happy worms inside of that pile. I mention earth worms because they are a sign of healthy soil. The bigger and fatter and more numerous the earth worm population in your soil the healthier and more nutrient your soil is.

Leaves that fall from trees should be ran over with a lawn mower once or twice. Lawnmowers now come with two blades = these are called mulching mowers which cut up the material smaller and push it down toward the base of your lawn.

This late in the season your lawn is most likely going dormant - a close cutting will not harm it. In fact every few years cutting it down as close as possible in the fall results in a spring return that is hardier and thicker.

In spring I would suggest setting your mower at the second highest setting, don't bag clippings and leaves for the rest of your stay there, do not use harsh chemical fertilizers, manure and compost lightly spread over the lawn twice a year (spring and late summer) only if your soil is very poor.

Next fall mow over the leaves - if you do want to bag them then dump them in a corner, get them wet and let nature taker her course - the pile will "cook" rather quickly. Compost heaps come in handy.

Another use for leaves is as mulch around the base of shrubberies, rose bushes appear to love fall leaves. Leaves also help if used as a thin light covering to protect fresh seed spreading for grass in the dry heat of mid summer - also helps to prevent the birds from eating the seed all up.

If you don't want an ugly pile of debris, you can put the leaves in trash containers, "seed" with a shovelful of yard soil, wet (not soaking) and cover - let nature take her course and that material will rot down into black soil.

I'm in agreement. My mower also mulches and is one of the best investments I've made.