Mulch and Rock Landscaping: How To Make Your Ground Cover Pop!

Are you bored with your landscaping?
Do you feel like your garden or front yard is ordinary? It’s tidy and looks pretty good with fresh mulch or river rock. But do you wish you could bring that wow factor to your yard? Read on for some tips on how to breathe some freshness into your mulch and rock landscaping!
Lots of people fall into a landscaping routine. Springtime comes, and you buy fresh mulch. You tear out the old, do some weeding, lay down some new landscape fabric, plant your annuals, and service your perennials. Many people grow the same flowers in the same spots within their flower beds year after year.
Why do we do this, and why are we such “creatures of habit”? It’s because when we repeat a job or a task, over time, we create a mental procedural modus operandi on a subconscious level. Our brains do this to conserve effort and time.
So let’s shake things up a little and challenge the status quo. Perhaps you could change up your ground cover and arrangements within your landscape design.
We’re going to start with some good basic info for your ground cover choice.
The use of ground cover in your landscape design is helpful in at least four ways.
Though some ground cover may include plants like Creeping Phlox or Green Carpet (Herniaria Glabra), the most popular choices are mulch and rock, or more specifically, decorative landscape gravels.
Chipping and shredding of trees produce wood mulch. Rock mulch consists of gravels sourced from quarries, rocky areas, and river beds. Both mulch categories are available in many different options in composition, size, and shape. They can each meet a wide range of criteria to fulfill specific functions and preferences.
As you may expect, an excellent basic rule of thumb is to plan to use rock for high-traffic applications such as a walkway, patio, or fire pit area. Areas with lots of plants, such as a garden or flower bed with lots of annuals, are generally easier to work with when you use mulch. However, if your plants are large and spread out, decorative gravel can work quite well and be very attractive.
I can always find different wood chips and bulk mulch for sale near me. Various trees are their sources, such as cedar, spruce, pine, hemlock, cypress, oak, etc.
Each variation of wood mulch offers its unique color, aroma, and benefits to your plants and soil. Additionally, wood mulches bring their natural beauty to the landscape space.
Decorative landscape gravels can be used effectively as rock mulches. There are many types of rock that work well as ground cover. In addition to plentiful options in size and shape, there are also beautiful colors from which to choose. Popular landscape rock types include pea gravel, Mexican beach pebbles, lava rock, and chipped rock.
We’ve looked at some basics regarding landscaping with rocks and mulch. So now, let’s look at some practical ideas to help you break out of your design rut and bring a little “wow” to your flower beds or graveled areas.
I don’t necessarily mean that you should go “bigger” in terms of area or space. Many people have limited space or well-defined beds that don’t need enlarging. I’m talking about the use of larger landscaping elements.
You don’t have to stick with small rocks and landscape gravel, particularly if you’re not planting flowers close together. Often people use landscaping gravel to trim around a building. Or they employ it to act as edging around a yard or a garden area. Instead, consider laying flagstone, steppers, or cobblestones with Herniaria Glabra planted in between.
Sometimes all you need to dress up that rocked or mulched area is some edging. Landscape edging brings definition and makes the space seem more detailed and better designed. There are lots of benefits of landscape edging (read here). You can create edging with anything from bricks or rocks to perennial plants!
Landscape lighting is an effective way to give your existing design emphasis and dramatic effect. In addition to its practical uses, outdoor lighting can bring beauty and artistic highlight to your flower beds, entryway, outdoor living spaces, and backyard.
Rather than using just one or the other, consider a combination of mulch and rock landscaping used together. Wood mulch used with different types of rock can transform an ordinary design into something exquisite. For example, a mulched bed with a boulder and some tallgrass plantings is a classic look of elegance.
You can also combine different types of rock. Some good examples of this are rock gardens and dry stream beds. And to further elevate the design, you can add a water feature or some other decorative artistic accent piece. Placing a stone bench, a Holey Limestone boulder, or a boulder bubbler are a few elements that would bring different dimensions to play in your landscape design.
In short, it’s your choice! In other words, some people are simply going to prefer one ground cover solution over the other. And one will better suit specific applications than the other.
In summary, mulch and rock landscaping both have distinct advantages and disadvantages. So before making your choice, if you’re unsure, you can always call your local landscape supply company (that’s us!) and get some expert insight into your need. Consider your specific requirements, preferences, human resources, and budget. Then weigh the plusses and minuses we’ve outlined for you here.
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