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I'm wanting to improve how my yard looks. I have a couple trees and some bushes. The trees are out toward the edge of the yard, and the bushes are up by the house. I am hoping to get some sort of edging and delineate the area a little and fill in the sections with mulch or something. Do you have any recommendations?

Maybe post a picture of your yard to get some help. In the deep south I find everything grows fast and furious, I would think grass and weeds would grow through the mulch in no time. I would rather use ornamental ground cover to delineate the zone in question.

jenkinsph said:

Maybe post a picture of your yard to get some help. In the deep south I find everything grows fast and furious, I would think grass and weeds would grow through the mulch in no time. I would rather use ornamental ground cover to delineate the zone in question.

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Use black plastic or landscape fabric (best) under the mulch to control weeds. ~~ grnspot110

What are you thinking of for the trees? A mulched area? A flower bed? A circular bench? Do you have kids who climb these trees? Bird feeders? Are they fruit trees, or trees that shed stuff?

(It's so much fun planning someone else's yard on a snowy winter morning!)

grnspot110 said:

Use black plastic or landscape fabric (best) under the mulch to control weeds. ~~ grnspot110

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I use landscape cloth here in the Southwest with decorative rock and it works well enough. I do think it has its own problems though, as debris and windblown dust can easily build up a layer above the cloth which will soon support weed growth.

There are a variety of materials that are considered "mulch". All work best with landscape fabric underneath, which allows moisture through but blocks out plant growth. Gravels, shredded materials, wood chips and pine needles are all forms of mulch.

I second Harriet, if you suspect there is the possibility that the mulch will increase weed prevalence, then use the variety at hand or rather use the ornamental option.

I see you're from Alabama. A couple other thoughts. If you use some sort of gravel as a mulch, the stone will absorb heat and you will lose moisture from the ground as a result. If you want to retain moisture, about 3 inches of a shredded material would be a better choice.

I've seen recycled tires used as a mulch. Of course it's shredded and tinted to look like a wood mulch. I'm not real sure how well it works but it's a thought.