Gardeners in La Grange Park are crossing their fingers to receive not a jackpot of cash or prizes in a lottery next month, but a supply of mulch.
Mulch is a hot commodity in the village where officials will use a lottery for the first time this year to determine who will receive some.
Other villages including La Grange and Western Springs also offer free mulch to residents who ask for it. But the demand has not yet caused them to give it away by lottery.
Brendan McLaughlin, public works director in La Grange Park, said his village has been providing free mulch to residents for 10 years. In the last two years, it has run out of the ground plant and brush matter and some residents walked away empty-handed.
“We decided to do a lottery this year because we thought it would be more fair,” he said.
The village collects plant, brush and landscape debris and grinds it. He said the village has more than enough mulch to cover a football field.
Allowing residents to use the free mulch in their own yards benefits the village.
“If we didn’t give it away we’d have to pay someone to haul it away,” McLaughlin said.
Rita McCabe, a member of the Garden Club of La Grange Park, said she was not aware that the village will give away mulch by lottery this year. .
“I think I will have to alert our members to that,” she said. “I think our club needs to put in a bid.”
The lottery will consist of drawing names from a bucket, McLaughlin said. Anyone who wants to receive the material needs to register on the village’s website or at the Village Hall, 447 N. Catherine, La Grange Park. The drawing will be on May 2.
According to the village of Western Springs website, mulch is available to residents outside the public works garage at 1440 Hillgrove Ave.Residents can also request a delivery of the material by calling the Public Works Department.
The village of La Grange creates mulch from its free monthly brush pick-up program. The material is stored near Tilden Avenue just north of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad tracks. Residents can take mulch for free for use on their properties, but they are responsible for loading and transporting it.
McCabe, whose garden club has 27 members, said mulch is a boon for gardeners when used correctly.
“It’s really important when you’re starting plants because it protects them from weeds,” she said. “Then, as it decays, it provides nutrients to plants.”
When overused, it can kill trees, she cautions.
“I see people overdoing it, especially with trees. You should never put too much mulch near the tree.”
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