So Mulch Fun!

After installing the brick edgers along our flower beds, it was obvious we couldn't stop there.  While we were digging around, we noticed how awful the existing mulch looked.  I'm no mulch expert, but the stuff looked a lot like... just a bunch of ground up junk and saw dust.  It was a disgrace to our new beautiful bricks, so we started researching our mulching options.  I found a great "Backyard Conservation Tip Sheet", courtesy of the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service, with a bunch of information on when and how to mulch.  The tip sheet suggests waiting to mulch until the ground has completely warmed, so we may have jumped the gun a bit on that.  However, our beds didn't contain any flowers, vegetables, or seeds and since the little bushes made it through a year of complete neglect, I don't think some slightly early mulching will do them any harm.  They must have tiger blood...

Eww... junky.

Instead of heading over to the Depot, we decided to check out a new-to-us local nursery, Meadows Farms Nursery.  Although it's still early in the season, we were pleasantly surprised to find a great selection of ground cover, bushes/shrubs, trees, and even some bright and happy pansies.  It was a beautifully sunny day, so we took our time strolling around their grounds and filling our heads with landscaping dreams.  We were also delighted to find their prices were much lower than our usual haunt, Campbell & Ferrara's, (more in line with the prices you'd expect at Home Depot) but with much better selection, quality, and customer service.  After chatting with the helpful garden center employees, we finally made our mulch selection... and of course had to pick up two more bushes.  At only $20 a pop, who could resist?

MFM: New Bedtelyon nursery of choice.

We decided to go with their shredded hardwood mulch because it was the most affordable option and came highly recommended from the staff.  It's supposed to hold up the best and I think has the best aesthetic appeal for our house, with a very natural and soft look to it.  Perfect for our little Cape Cod.  The bushes we chose are Manhattan Euonymus.  We loved their little glossy leaves and the fact they'll have little white flowers in late summer, followed by pinkish fruits in fall.  Plus, they're great for an informal hedge.  Now if we could just decide where to put them...

Homeless Euonymus bushes.

Before dumping in our new mulch, we first tried to rake out as much of the old junk as we could.  Then we just emptied the bags, raked it around the little bushes, and swept the scraps off the bricks.  The hardest part was lugging around the ginormous bags.  The mulch looks so soft and plush, and weirdly has a faint aroma I've smelled in wines before.  That must be the "earthy" smell they talk about.

Post-raking bed.

New bed (right of front door)

Another new bed!

And another!

So, with just a quick 2.2 mile drive to a great local nursery and about $100 later, our beds were further spruced up and we have two new little bushes to put somewhere and hopefully enjoy for years to come.