That is, if you’re on the staff of the Lurie Garden in Chicago’s Millennium Park.

 

On February 13 at 7:30 the staff will begin mowing down all the perennials from last year’s growth and then leaving the chopped up debris in place to provide mulch for this year’s plants. This is a new technique known as “mulching in place” and it’s something that can be adapted to the home garden.

 

Photo: Jennifer Davit, Lurie Garden

At the Lurie Garden, the staff uses a riding mower and runs through the space multiple times in order to ensure that the plant debris has been sufficiently chopped up to make good mulch. The mowers blades are set at 4 to 6 inches off the ground so as not to damage the crowns of dormant perennials.  

 

This takes about three hours, much shorter than the three days that were required when the staff chopped everything down manually. Tall grasses, however, are still cut by hand.

 

To learn more about this relatively new concept, be sure to read Beth Botts’ story on the subject in the upcoming March-April issue of Chicagoland Gardening.

— Carolyn Ulrich