Will mowing the leaves into the lawn look messy?

Most homeowners don't realize the landscaper is doing anything different after they switch to mulching-in-place. The shredded mulch generally cannot be seen on the lawn. Sometimes, if the leaf layer is very thick, you may need to make two passes to mulch all the leaves. Landscaping mowers equipped with mulching fittings reduce the leaves to such tiny fragments that you don't see them at all.