September 18, 2016 – Ikebana “In Situ” technique - Expanded to composting 

          Years ago when we lived in Wayne, New Jersey, I joined the Packanack Lake Gardening Club.  They had AWESOME monthly speakers and a Christmas wreath making day that was known in the area as what real Christmas is all about.

          I took advantage of as many meeting as I could.  One in particular was the most illuminating.  It was an Ikebana demonstration.  They had a professional come in to speak; I can’t remember her credentials as it has been many years, but I took my sketch pad and a handful of different colored pencils so that I could take “memorable” notes.

          My take away from that Ikebana demonstration was going out into the garden and only cutting what you actually need for the planned arrangement.  You plan it in your head and then you go out to your garden and collect only what you need for your arrangement, not cutting masses of material.  Then you arrange it “in situ”.  This was a phrase I had never heard before.

          “In situ” means “in its original place”.  I have heard it pronounced several different ways – and I don’t really know which one is correct.  But, the instructor used it to mean – you would arrange your Ikebana flower arrangement – in place.   Where it will be seen and not arranged on the kitchen counter and taken to the living room coffee table.  Your arrangement is for that specific location. When you arrange in that location you are taking into consideration that light and space and you cannot do it elsewhere.

          Often times you will see massive flower arrangements at weddings, social events, or hotel lobbies.  They are 6 feet across or tall.  Those are arranged in place, or arranged “in situ”.  When I arranged flowers for the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Forest City in the last 1980s to early 1990s I used the “in situ” technique often on large bouquets.

          Later I noticed “in situ” mentioned casually in the context of composting in the garden. I instantly knew what they were discussing – sort of on location, next to, or nearby, what was being trimmed.

          I use the in situ composting technique to save time and effort, re-feed the soil where needed, and not overburden my compost pile with materials that quickly break down into compost.

          When I trim my Liriope I cut the dull, faded and dead leaves to the ground by hand in January of February.  I cut the leaves and then deposit them into 5-gallon or larger 10-gallon plastic pot I use for some of my gardening weeding projects.

          Then, nearby I have a white birch tree that is almost impossible to plant under because of its greedy roots – sucks the moisture and nutrients out of the soil and competes with most plants I try in that location.  So, it is the place we put our bird feeder and in the summer some groupings of large potted plants for color.  In the winter those pots are elsewhere and the ground is available for in situ composting.  I sprinkle the cut Liriope leaves evenly and then walk on them a little to flatten them down if need be.  I then top them with some nice pine needle mulch.

          This technique saves me time lugging the leaves to the compost pile; it enriches the soil beneath the birch tree, and provides an environment for better moisture retention.  It also makes a neat setting for the large potted plants I group there in the spring.

          I also use this same technique on my Ceasars Brother Siberian Iris [iris sibirica] leaves.  Often I cut those plants back once or twice a year – depending on the amount of rain.  I do the same thing; around the base I shake the cut leaves out in a thin layer of less than 1 inch and top dress them lightly with compost or mulch.

          I’ve even tried this with my Maiden Grasses ‘Morning Light’ [Miscanthus sinensis].  However, this is much more time consuming, as I have sat in Mid-January and cut the grass and the stalks into 4 to 6 inches pieces to sprinkle around as mulch around the base of the grasses.  As it is an extremely lightweight material it can easily blow away.  The trick is to cover it with heavy mulch immediately and not work on a windy day.  Also, if you have the time, it is a nice lightweight material that you can easily store and later use elsewhere because a large amount weighs very little.

          When you have a chance, try out the above techniques.  I believe it will save you time and effort and improve your garden soil. 

          Stay well and Happy Gardening!