There are quite a few items that you can use in your landscape including rock and mulch products. When determining whether to use rock and mulch product in your landscape consider the pros and cons of each product. Some rock and mulch products might require more maintenance than others and some products might need to be replaced every few years. When looking at your budget, keep in mind that the longer the product will last you the more money you will save.
1. Determine what type of edging you want to use.
The three most popular types of edging that separate grass areas from landscape areas are: natural edging, plastic edging and concrete bullet edger’s. Natural edging is just butting up your lawn to the rock or mulch with no man made products and best of all it is free. Plastic edging works great for smooth flowing curves and is easy to install. If installed incorrectly, this product tends to heave or work its way out of the ground. Plastic edging also has a tendency of being cut or gouged by mowers since it sticks up above the dirt level. Concrete bullet edger’s are more time consuming to install but are more sustainable. They rarely heave and never get damaged by mowers if installed correctly.
2. Rock and Mulch Products
Rock and mulch products are cost effective materials to commonly used in landscapes. Mulch is a light weight product, is easy to install and looks great when fresh. There many products to choose from including natural bark, cedar or color enhanced. The major down fall of mulch is that it requires topdressing every year to maintain its color and aroma. Weeds tend to grow in mulch areas more than rock areas. Having to top-dress every year and pull weeds weekly adds to the overall cost and sustainability of the product. Sometimes mulch makes more sense to install then rock. Some times rock is just not practical.
We usually install small or large river rock in our landscape beds. Rock is generally a one time expense and doesn’t usually require topdressing. We install poly weed mat as opposed to fiber weed mat because it minimizes the outbreak of weeds. Rock costs more to install up front but will save you money on maintenance.
When choosing rock and mulch products, you will have to choose the product that best fits your needs.
3. Annual vs perennial.
We almost never install annual plants in long term landscape beds. You will have the reoccurring cost of the plant material and labor if you choose annual plants over perennials. Perennials come up each year with a fresh new plant and are the most sustainable vs annuals. We do however install annuals in pots and planters which can be placed in landscape beds. Annuals generally tend to cover a smaller area and may require more plants to cover the same areas as perennials.