The Delights of Mulch

It's rainy here in Eastern Massachusetts, so the garden is now more an object to consider and reflect upon than to work in. This, however, does not mean that its enjoyment is reduced or impaired, but simply that its focus has changed. Last night as I was reading in my living room, I opened a window to better appreciate the sound of rain softly striking the soil and plant surfaces. The pleasant experience of simply pausing to listen to this sound must be imbedded in our composition, for there's no questioning how relaxing it is.

I was expecting this pleasure but was further delighted by a scent that I had long associated with vacation and woodland hikes. As it wafted from the soil surface into the room, it brought to mind still another reason to bring a creature friendly environment to the doorstep, and to delight in the existence of mulch. When gardening for wildlife, as well as for yourself, it is important to leave a surface of natural mulch around the plants. Supplied by fallen leaves from seasons past, this organic decomposing layer provides a habitat for multitudes of tiny creatures crucial to the beginning of the garden food chain. Birds, reptiles, and mammals depend upon it; indeed, they cannot live without it.

Knowing of the importance of nature's mulch is especially important for those meticulous gardeners who mean well, but laboriously clean out the leaf refuse beneath their shrubs and trees. Something in their make-up recoils at the accumulation of decaying leaves that they see as a mess, and though they may also delight in the sound and beauty of ground feeders like song sparrows or bluebirds, their lack of understanding insures that the vision of these creatures finding welcome in their garden will not be realized.

There are other reasons why a mulch is essential in the growing of garden plants, reasons like the moderation of soil temperature that actually makes the plant's life possible, or the future organic quality of the soil that insures the viability of the plant's life. To underestimate and neglect the importance of mulch will lead to a garden's demise, as well as to the detriment of any effort to attract the beauty of the animal world.