Creating a low-maintenance, Florida-friendly landscaped yard and garden is easier than you think, especially if you let mulch do most of the work. You’ve amended your soil with rich compost, choose beautiful plants and put them in the ground in just the right spot, and planted trees so they can help keep your home cool.
HGTV can help figure out what type of mulch is best for your landscape and garden, also the best way to buy much.
Buy mulch in bulk
The cheapest way to buy mulch is in bulk. This is the way to go when you have multiple planting beds to cover. A local mulch company can help calculate how much mulch you need or search online for easy mulch calculators (you’ll have to measure planting areas). Visit your local mulch supplier to see what kinds of mulch they offer. Dyed shredded wood mulches often contain ground wood pallets, not bark (which is better). Read the bag or ask your supplier what is in the mulch you’re buying.
Shredded Hardwood Bark
Mulch adds a finishing touch to any planting bed, but that’s not all it does. A good mulch helps the soil to hold moisture — so you don’t have to water as often. Put mulch down thick enough, and it helps keep weeds from growing. Shredded hardwood bark is one of the most common mulch choices and works well for flower beds and around trees and shrubs. It usually lasts from one to three years and adds organic matter to the soil as it decomposes. Look for double or triple ground mulch (experienced gardeners prefer triple ground).
Decorative Stone
Turn to decorative stone mulch when you want to give plantings a formal ambiance. Stone comes in a variety of colors and shapes. River rock usually has smooth, rounded edges, while quartz is more jagged. Stone mulch doesn’t degrade over time and doesn’t usually need to be replaced if it’s seated on landscape fabric. You might need to refresh the top layer of stones at times if it fades or discolors.
