Grandpa and I were talking today about redoing our landscaping in our flower beds, around our koi pond and around the swing set. I was complaining that every year we have to replace most of the mulch in the flower beds. Grandpa having more urgent problems on his list encouraged me to make a plan and start searching for a better mulch.
Here is my plan. First, I want to use a 3 inch layer of natural hard wood mulch for my flower beds near the house. I like this mulch type because it will break down over time and add organic matter to the soil. Next, I want to remove the grass in a two foot wide perimeter around my koi pond. We have always had a problem with mowing the grass along the perimeter of our pond. The lawn mower blows grass clippings into the pond. A bit of grass clippings get in the pond even when we use a lawn bag. Anyone who has a koi pond knows that this will cause problems with the ph in the pond and create a great environment for algae to grow. After some research I decided on river bed stone. I wanted to use a stone gravel and most stone gravels contain limestone. Lime will leach into the water and again cause problems with the ph levels. So, river bed stone it will be.
Last, but not least I plan to clear the sand from under our swing set and place mulch under the swing and slide. I am always worried about my grandchildren being safe while playing in my yard. I know there will be falls from the slide and swing so I wanted to find a suitable surface that would look good but also be a safety cushion for falls. Then I remembered the neighbor hood park used rubber mulch for playground safety. So that is my answer. I go to Rubber Mulch and find all the information I need. They have all sorts of colored recycled tire mulch. How cool is that. Green recycled material for mulch that will stay put for a long time. You can check out the rubber mulch landscaping ideas on this site if you want to know more http://www.rubbermulch.com/landscapes.htm. I hope to be able to post before and after photos of my project when it is finished. That will be a fun post I am sure. I hope you all are having a great weekend.
I don't use mulch because I think it rots and draws bugs. I put rocks down and so far it is working out well. They are the more decorative rocks.
ReplyDeleteI think I would like the ground up tires too. I have seen it used in a driveway in place of gravel and it was great.
Hope you are having a Wonderful weekend.
Mulch is so pretty in flower beds. I hope to do some lawn work this year. I'm going to start with bulbs so I'll have pretty flowers this fall and next spring. I'm not sure what I'm going to do after that so I'll check out the site and see if I can get some ideas and suggestions. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteMulch is so pretty in flower beds. I hope to do some lawn work this year. I'm going to start with bulbs so I'll have pretty flowers this fall and next spring. I'm not sure what I'm going to do after that so I'll check out the site and see if I can get some ideas and suggestions. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI have wanted that rubber mulch forever, but I can't afford it - it is so pretty and so nice. sandie
ReplyDeleteAll your ideas sound terrific! I've looked into rubber mulch and like the idea. In our new playground I've been trying to decide on whether to use rubber mulch or fake grass.
ReplyDeleteHope you post before and after pictures!
Mulch in the flower beds only last one year in the Pacific Northwest. So I put down new mulch every year about 3 inches it help keep the mosture even and the weeds down. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteSounds like fun...wish I had a yard lol
ReplyDeleteI've never seen rubber mulch and that is something I would be interested in. Thanks for posting.
ReplyDeleteadriana(dot)grillo(at)live(dot)ca
Sounds like you've got beautiful plans in motion! I hope you'll post a picture of some of it when you finish the project so we can all 'ooh' and 'aahh' over it!
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