Iris ‘Benton Olive’ in Sarah Price's garden
26.06.2023 - 13:55 / homesthetics.net
Does the smell of wet earth, freshly watered plants, and the desire to be surrounded by greenery appeal to you?
Although gardening may appear complicated, we assure you that with the right ingredients and lots of patience, you too can have a beautiful garden. However, it’s essential to discuss certain aspects of mulch, vital for flower beds and vegetables.
You may have often used the substance without knowing what it does or noticing the available varieties. As a result, a working knowledge about mulch and its various types will help you take better care of your leafy friends.
In our guide, we’ve also highlighted how it differs from compost, the conditions you can use it in, and most significantly, why you need it. So, let’s not waste time – grab your shovel, bring out the cart…
…and let’s get our hands dirty!
Contents
The primary question we need to answer before delving into the intricacies is – what is mulch? It’s a type of substance you use with the soil to help in your landscaping needs. Furthermore, it provides the platform for your vegetables and flowers to blossom and is an integral part of the garden.
While certain types of mulch are better at water retention, some other varieties may improve your soil or control weed. To make the correct decision, you need to have a clear idea of your purpose and then get to work. Moreover, there is a type of mulch for every need and, therefore, you don’t need to worry.
Why Should You Use Mulch?
In modern-day gardening, using mulch is no longer a choice but a necessity. Mulch provides the first layer of protection to the soil and keeps weeds and termites from harming the plants. It has excellent water retention properties and maintains the earth at an optimum temperature that
Iris ‘Benton Olive’ in Sarah Price's garden
These Rose Color Houseplants represent the famous hue of rose in the magnificent shade of red-pink. Grow them in your rooms for the awesome colors!
Greenery plays an important role when it comes to adding positivity and calmness to one’s life. If you want to know How Houseplants Make You Happy, then we have listed some amazing scientific facts that’ll make you go wow!
As I was ranting, my text buzzed to alert me there was a message, and there was a photo from Ken of a flat of his just-emerged primula seedlings—hundreds of them, that he’d successfully winter-sown outdoors. All for the price of a couple of seed packets. I asked him how he did it, and about other things you can sow that way.Ken, who gardens in New Jersey (those are some of his Primula japonica in his canal garden, above), is the author of 20 garden books and also my co-host of the Virtual Garden Club that we put on a few times each year. He’s a master propagator who loves to crack the code of how to make more plants of any kind. He shared the how-to’s of his success with primula seed
But there’s always more to do in other parts of the garden, too.On the list are some strategic summer pruning tasks, and a likewise strategic plan for deadheading or otherwise reducing self-sowers (like celandine poppy, Stylophorum diphyllum, above) so there’s not too much of a good thing, for instance. Plus there are perennials in need of haircuts.My friend Ken Druse, autho
Ken is author and photographer of 20 garden books, including one on plant propagation, and is a daring plant propagator himself. Together since 2021, we’ve co-hosted the Virtual Garden Club, a series of online classes about our favorite subject: plants. Ken gardens in New Jersey, mostly in the shade.Read along as you listen to the March 20, 2023 edition of my public-radio show and podcast using the player below. You can subscribe to all future editions on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) or Spotify or Stitcher (and browse my archive of podcasts here).making more plants, with ken druseMargaret Roach: Hello Ken, over there in the shade
Some people say–“dawn dish soap is the duct tape for the kitchen,” but it’s even more, you can use this powerful liquid soap in your garden not in one or two ways but dozen. Discover these Dawn Dish Soap Uses in the Garden below, and decide for yourself.
You may have heard that a light meter is an incredibly helpful tool to keep your houseplants happy or to assist you in attaining indoor gardening excellence – almost like a magic wand!But these tools come with a variety of features and are availa
When you grow houseplants, you bring some of the outdoors in.But much of the time, houseplants are adorably short, traili
If you want to add a certain sheen to your indoor plant collection then include these Silver Leaf Houseplants for a touch of class and elegance.
What do I Have in Common with Monty Don & Sarah Raven? We are all devotees of the Japanese style workwear made by Kiraku Clothing – Monty’s blue denim jacket and Sarah’s tunic are both made by Kiraku who have now branched out as The Garden Clothing Company and have a stand at the Hampton Court Flower Show. If you aspire to looking stylish when you garden (at least some of the time) but need something durable – these are the clothes for you – and me.