Shortly after I bought and moved into my first home in Arlington, I noticed a new smell I have since come to love — the smell of mulch.
Having just moved to the ‘burbs from Capitol Hill, I had absolutely no idea what mulch was, nor much interest in finding out more about it since it smelled so foul. But with the help of our avid gardening neighbors, I quickly learned that some sort of mulch (there are many different kinds) was a necessary evil for the flower beds surrounding our cute little home. Even more than that, I learned when and how to spread it (the earlier the better, just as plants are starting to break through the ground), and why it’s important (looks good, prevents weeds).
So ever since, I always order my cheap pile of mulch from the county, spend some back-breaking work spreading it, and stand back to admire the rich, dark mulch on my flower beds when I’m done. Ordering mulch from the county is tons less expensive than buying bags of it from the gardening store or even Home Depot, plus you’re participating in the whole recycling thing. But if you’re going to order mulch, do it now — there’s about a 3-week lead time, and by the end of April this whole mulch spreading thing should ideally be done.
In fall, Arlington County comes along to suck up the leaves that you’ve raked to your curb. That’s what’s then turned into this leaf mulch. You gotta love the county for doing this.
If you’re really industrious, you can even go pick up the mulch yourself, load it up into your car, and haul it to your home. That’s FREE!
Next up on “Chris’s gardening tips” …. how to build your own compost bin …. or get that through the county, too!
Have a great day,
Chris
