'Tis time for the Big Chop

Rose fanciers know to prune their bloomers in late January or early February.  I am not a fancier of roses, and thus do not have to worry myself with that chore. However, I do have a yard filled with California and Mediterranean native plants — and dozens of meadow grasses — that require some attention right about now.

Haircuts all around? You betcha.

Our back yard landscaping is not labor-intensive, but the Big Chop, as we call it, does take several days to complete. It’s multifunctional, really. It allows us to clean up around all the plantings, raking up (often by hand) the last of the fallen leaves. This cuts down on the hiding places that insects will find once the weather warms. It also makes the plantings look so much tidier; the yard looks newly planted, really.

We must start the Big Chop with an empty green waste toter, and maybe even pirate a neighbor’s for backup. Then the loppers come out, and the cutting begins. The butterfly bushes come down, from 7 feet tall to just 8-10 inches. Most of the salvias will also decrease in size by a third or so. The penstemons require a little less trimming, but a cleanup they will get. The catmint practically disappears, leaving just an inch or two of woody stems bristling above the soil line.

But those meadow grasses … they’re still looking pretty, especially the tall, billowy zebra grasses (Miscanthus sinensis 'Zebrinus'). They’ve faded to a bright gold, and their broomlike heads sway in the wind. I think I’ll save them for the last cut.

Are any of you prepping for a Big Chop of your own? Best of luck! May your backs not ache too much by the time you’re done.

The gold color of the now-dormant zebra grass makes it a standout. But it will soon fall during the Big Chop, as will the butterfly bushes to the left. Photo by Kathy Thomas-Rico

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