Landscaping with Mulch

A well-planned sprinkler system is a key element to a beautiful lawn, and with Sprinkler Buddies in place, a low maintenance solution. Once you’ve taken care of beautifying your lawn with weed control and water management, you may turn your attention to your borders: flower beds, trees, and shrubbery. Enhancing these areas with a ground covering of mulch or decorative stone goes a long way for the curb-appeal of your property.

There are many choices for this purpose, and one needs to consider which product will suit their individual needs and preference. Mulches come in differing grades of texture, from coarse and chunky to finely shredded. If your area is prone to wind erosion, you may choose a chunky mulch or decorative stone. Further, steep slopes require a material that is least prone to erosion and wash-outs. There is also a range of color choices for mulch, from Black Dyed and Brown Dyed to Red Dyed and even Blue! A natural, undyed mulch is more susceptible to eventual fading from the sun, however, many people prefer the natural look. The color of natural mulch can easily be refreshed by roto-tilling it, or raking it to turn it over. Raking will also disturb any weed seeds that have blown into your beds. The dyed mulches are popular because they retain their color much longer. The dyes used in this process are safe for your plants, and won’t harm pets or people! Mulches will benefit your plantings by aiding water retention, and discouraging weeds. As they break down, they also provide nutrients to the beds, and they aid in protection for your plants for over-wintering.

Another option for ground cover is decorative stone. Prepare your beds as you would for mulch, laying black plastic or landscape fabric down over the weed-free beds, with ample holes cut around the base of your plants. Spread the decorative stone to a depth of about 3″ to 4″. This is the longest lasting decorative solution for the base of your plants. Consider a stone that compliments the setting of your home, from a brick colored Pure Red Landscape Stone, to a creamy colored Brown Landscape Stone, to a multi-colored River Jack stone. A larger size would be recommended over a small gravel, as it is easier to use a hand blower to remove debris from the beds without disturbing the stone. Consider how much debris falls from your plants when choosing a bedding material. If you have plants that shed a lot of debris, a mulch may be a better choice, as it can be raked into the mulch. Eventually, stone beds will need to be refreshed, but not for several years.

For an overview of available products, visit www.westminsterlawn.com for photos and information, as well as informative blog articles about bulk landscaping products.

This entry was posted on Monday, July 30th, 2012 at 3:30 pm and is filed under Landscaping. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.