on mixing rock and bark mulch

I've talked before about the advantages and disadvantages of different kinds of mulch.  In short, rock mulch is difficult to use in a garden because it prevents you from amending the soil with compost and it gets dirty with fallen leaves etc.  I prefer shredded bark mulch in a garden - this does great things for your plants!  It moderates soil temperature, keeps in moisture, and minimizes weeds.  It does need to be topped up every few years because it slowly decomposes, but that's a good thing because it feeds the soil as it breaks down.  So I always recommend bark mulch in a garden, but rocks have their place too.

In my brother's front yard makeover, we're doing a mix - bark mulch in the garden and rock mulch in the unplanted areas.  Rocks can be arranged to look like a dry stream bed, with larger rocks on the "shoulder" and smaller rocks in the middle, to look very natural.  Since my brother is in the process of preparing his yard for mulching and is doing it all himself (with the help of family and friends, of course), I took a few pictures of gardens I've notice recently that have done a good job of mixing rock and bark mulch.

These are for you, Doug!  Cheers, and keep digging!  :-)

Comments

[Laura]

Very nice! I love when rock is used well.

[Doug]

Well... I am glad I could finally be of some service to you Dear Sister! I have the river bed dug out, and will hopefully have a couple yards of river rock delivered this coming weekend. Sarah and I are using the second house in the pictures above as our inspiration. I think we have decided on the 20mm Tanned Washed Rock from our local rock store. If you have no plans for the weekend I have a shovel, gloves and wheel barrow that have your name on them!