No, Colored Mulch Is Not Pretty

Nicely landscaped garden bed with awful dyed mulch - perhaps to match the bricks?

Have you seen the commercial with the Irish man who has more time to spend with his wife because he uses dyed mulch?  I have never been so disgusted by a commercial, ever. 

Here is why.

Mulch is not a ground cover! 

Here is another reason why.

Mulch should absolutely break down over the year in order to add organic material back into the soil!

Garden beds are mulched for several important reasons:

• To suppress weeds that might grow between plants.  A light mulching (1-2” deep) creates a nice barrier to help prevent weed seeds from germinating.
• To help the soil retain moisture.  A light mulching allows rainwater to seep through and helps keep the soil from drying out too fast. 
• To help the soil stay cool during the heat of summer.  Again, a light mulching helps keep the sun’s direct rays from penetrating and heating the soil and plants’ roots. 
• To add organic matter back into the soil.  As the mulch is broken down, important microscopic organisms are working to do their jobs and enrich the soil.

Today’s residential and commercial landscapes are over-mulched.  Rather than planting, weeding, and maintaining a garden or landscape, garden beds are spread thickly with mulch, giving “green space” a nice brown coating, or in some cases, a wash of blood red wood shreds.  Where in nature would one find a blanket of red except on a field after a bloody battle?

Dyed mulches (black, red, dark brown (the actual color of shredded wood)) are often composed of recycled wood waste such as old hardwood pallets, decking, or worst of all, old pressure treated CCA lumber.  Ground up trash wood is treated with chemicals (for bonding) and dyes to give it a uniform color.

The biggest reason why I abhor dyed mulch is that it does not break down to enrich the soil as natural and organic soil does.  The possibilities of chemicals in the recycled wood trash that leach into the soil could harm, or even kill, beneficial soil bacteria, insects, earthworms, or even the plants the mulch is supposed to protect. 

When you mulch, you should use 100% and organic shredded hardwood, pine, pine straw or fines, or composted leaf mulch to do the jobs that mulch is supposed to do, and to make your garden full of beautiful plants (and not painted wood trash)!

The Cicadas Are Coming!

Cicada

Famously known as Brood II, the 17-year cicadas are due to begin emerging by the end of May.  To some, witnessing this natural phenomenon is awesome; to others, menacing and grotesque.

For me, it means calls from clients wondering what to do about their recently planted gardens.

Adrian Higgins, the Washington Post's garden writer, sums it all up nicely.  Not everything in your garden is at risk - in fact, unless your garden was planted in the past two years, you shouldn't worry at all. Established trees  and shrubs will recover.  Perennials and evergreens are not plants in which the cicadas like to lay their eggs.

So no worries, enjoy watching the beastly creatures and be grateful they won't return until 2030.

What are other gardeners reading?

I wonder what other gardeners and landscape designers are reading, not just for inspiration, but to gain historical perspective, or, perhaps to fall asleep?  I have shelves of books about gardens, many that I've read cover-to-cover more than once, others that no longer have a spine (not unlike my old Bible), and some very pretty ones that don't do much more than collect dust.

A few weeks from now, I'm thrilled to attend a book signing party for David Culp, and his new book The Layered Garden:  Design Lessons for Year-Round Beauty from Brandywine Cottage.  Of course, this is on my list of books to read and add to my collection - and one that will likely lose its spine.  I've heard David Culp speak about winter gardens and read articles he's written about plants and plant design.  His excitement for plants, particularly perennials, is contagious.  

Peeking into the book online, he includes a list of some of his favorite garden books . . . what a rare treat! I have quite a few on his list, but now have a few more to add to my library.

Habemus flores!

Spring is almost here . . . holding my breath . . . and enjoying the early (and fragrant!) blooms of Hammamelis x intermedia 'Jelena' (Witch Hazel) and Sarcoccocoa hookeriana var. humilis (Sweetbox) in the garden.