A Roll in the Clay

The Mulch Conundrum 

February can be such a dismal month. Thoughts of  honeybees humming in the pussy willows and fiddle heads unfurling their green grace in the shade garden carry me through. Fortunate for me, I have a TON of reading to catch up on. I'm constantly adding to the list which mostly is composed of gardening and cookbooks that I have little time to get to in the growing season. So February is perfect.

At the top of the list was The Know Maintenance Perennial Garden by Roy Diblik. For those not in the know, Diblik is an incredible plantsman and designer best known for his work with Piet Oudolf on the Lurie Garden in Chicago's Millennium Park. He also designed the plantings around the Shedd Aquarium. As I was reading his book a few weeks ago, an invitation arrived to hear him speak at an Illinois Landscape Design Association meeting. Talk about fortuitous. So I trekked on over to the Oak Park Conservatory to hear a man who knows a thing or two about gardening in clay.

As I listened intently to his ideas on planting and garden composition, something he said jumped out at me.

"Stop following traditions blindly, things are meant to be questioned and changed."

Which got me thinking about an idea I had been considering this past year but was hesitant to embrace. We mulch because that's what we've been told we need to do to conserve water and suppress weeds. I'm all about conservation, and I've been a loyal mulcher for years. Do the Brits mulch? No way. They plant tightly to crowd out weed competition. Funny thing is, this last year I wondered how it would be if I just stopped with the mulch altogether. For whatever reason, his permission to do something I had been contemplating was what I needed. I noticed that when I water, far more water is needed to actually reach the roots because it's first absorbed by the mulch. Likewise for any rainfall. My husband will be happy not to have five yards of wood mulch piled in the driveway this year! And so will I.

He continued:

"Plants are not genetically prepared to linger in years of mulch accumulation. They'll linger beautifully but they won't live. How many of us just want to linger?"

That comment sealed it for me. I've never been one to sit back and idle, and neither will my garden. Thanks Roy! Next time I'll trust my gut.

Do you have the guts to kiss wood mulch goodbye? I'd love to know why or why not.