Mulch Up Your Garden!
Garden mulch is a wonderful way to add color and dimension to your garden. It’s a also a great way to save on time. If you are like many homeowners who want a gorgeous garden and yard but don’t have a lot of spare time, check out mulching. You will save time by watering less, pulling fewer weeds and fighting off fewer pests. If you mulch, your plants will be protected from extreme temperatures, weeds and short dry spells. It will also be easier for you to mow around trees. Looking for someone to mow your lawn? Find a reliable landscaper here.
Types of Mulch
There are many kinds of mulches for your garden. Organic mulches are considered the best. The benefits that they bring to your garden include improving your soil by adding nutrients as the mulch decomposes, and encouraging earthworm movement. Some of the most popular organic mulches include:
- Bark
- Straw
- Leaves
- Grass clippings
- Pine needles
- Wood
The different varieties of mulch made from chopped trees range from shredded and stringy to chipped and chunky. Chipped cedar mulch is both attractive and aromatic. Wood mulches come in single, double, and triple-ground, with the price increasing each time it goes through the grinder. For an inexpensive, basic mixed ground mulch, check your local landfill – many cities collect and grind lawn and tree waste, then sell it for as little as $5 per pickup load. Wood is also great because it lasts for more then one season.
If you have a rodent problem or if you live in a very moist climate, then you will want to choose an inorganic mulch in order to prevent rotting. Inorganic mulches can range from rubber to stone. Rubber is often made to look like wood or bark. Recycled rubber mulches are commonly used in playgrounds and walkways. Rubber mulch is a topic of debate among environmentalists, since the benefits of recycling weigh against the potential for the emission of toxic chemicals into the air and groundwater. Rock, stone, gravel and crushed rock are resistant to wind and maintain their appearance for years. Since rock absorbs heat, it often gives gardens a parched appearance.
Mulch Design Tips
- Use darker mulch under green bushes that have color. The darker mulch will accentuate the plants’ shape and texture and bring the foliage into sharper focus.
- Consider using more than one type of mulch, and use mulches to create a pattern. A combination of stones and shredded wood makes for great-looking borders in gardens. Use river stones as an edging with shredded wood mulch around the plants themselves.
- While river stones often appear white or gray when dry, they can display beautiful colors when wet.
- Consider matching the mulch to the color of your home. Red mulch is an excellent accent for brick homes in maroon or reddish tints.
