Annual Cleanup at the Upjohn Peony Garden

Each fall, the University of Michigan’s men’s and women’s cross country teams take on a tradition unique to their Ann Arbor campus: they volunteer to prune and clean the W.E. Upjohn Peony Garden, one of North America’s premier collections of herbaceous peonies. The garden, located within the Nichols Arboretum, is home to nearly 800 historic peony plants, representing varieties from Asia, Europe, and North America dating back to the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Spring Blooms, Autumn Work

While tens of thousands of visitors flood the university campus in May and June to catch the 10,000 flowers at their peak, by autumn the garden enters a dormancy phase. This transition sets the stage for an important annual event: preparing the peonies for the winter months so they can produce their celebrated blooms in spring.

The Role of Student Volunteers in Peony Garden Maintenance

The cross country teams’ involvement is crucial for peony garden maintenance. Olivia Liebing-Slater, collections horticulturist at Nichols Arboretum, explained that all the peony foliage must be cut down during this season. “Cutting it down also helps reduce any disease that carries over, so it’s really important for the health, too,” she said. The cleanup, which would otherwise take the regular garden staff a week, is completed in about an hour by the student athletes.

Teamwork and Tradition in the Upjohn Peony Garden

The origins of this annual peony garden cleanup date back to long-serving women’s cross country coach Mike McGuire, who began running through the Arb as a Michigan student in the 1970s. McGuire learned that the garden staff needed help clearing the peonies in fall, and enlisted his team to take on the job. “We were able to do something that maybe took them a week, and we could knock it off in 90 minutes with the army that we have,” McGuire noted.

For the team members, the event is about more than just gardening; it builds camaraderie. Penelopea Gordon, a graduate student and veteran of four peony cleanups, described it as an exercise in teamwork and togetherness: “You got this part, I got this part. So, it’s a lot of good camaraderie and team bonding for sure.”

An Impact Beyond the Track

Freshman runner Kenny Champ, from Barrie, Ontario, participated for the first time this year. His task was collecting armfuls of peony debris and loading them into a waiting truck, determined to carry as many as possible each trip. For Gordon, now in her final year, participation is especially rewarding. “It’s that much more meaningful when we get to clean it up and get it ready for the wintertime and then it can have its beautiful spring bloom,” she said.

Peony Plant Care and Future Blooms

Liebing-Slater emphasized the importance of peony garden maintenance for the health and future beauty of the historic plants. “It sets us up for the success that we need in the spring,” she explained. By cutting back the foliage and cleaning up debris, the team helps reduce disease and ensure a vibrant bloom for the tens of thousands of visitors who will return next year to admire the ann arbor peony garden.

Source: abcnews.com.