By Sharon Cohoon, Sunset senior garden writer

It seems Susi Torre-Bueno, the president of the San Diego Horticultural Society and editor of their monthly newsletter, and I share the same messy habit.  When we deadhead or groom plants, we both let small plant cuttings fall to the ground to compost in place.  (Large cuttings from heavy-duty pruning still goes to the compost pile.) 

It doesn't look as unkempt as it sounds; everything quickly turns a uniform gray-brown.  When we want to present a neater appearance to the world for whatever reason, though--garden tour coming, in-laws visiting--both of us simply cover the clippings with a layer of mulch to create instant respectability.  Then we just keep repeating the process, layer upon layer, both layers breaking down to enrich the soil. 

The difference is Susi has a name for this process.  Well, actually, two.  "Lasagna composting," or "the lazy-woman's-garden-practice-that's-actually-good-for-the-garden."

Whatever you choose to call the technique, we know it works.  We both have lovely friable soil that's full of earthworms.