Thinking of adding a mulch island to help with the grass. Also some small mounds of mulch under the six light posts?. They currently have some pvc pipe exposed that looks bad and needs something to cover it. The spotlight will be removed
by Thegrimreaper3
15 Comments
Mulch the whole area
I would mulch the whole area. It will be much easier to maintain and look better.
I would sheet compost using cardboard and mulch in the fall and plant some native shade tolerant shrubs and perennials.
What you drew is a maintenance nightmare and will look like a severe case of yard measles. Making a dozen tiny mulch islands and tiny mulch pimples around your lights completely breaks the visual flow and guarantees your mower will constantly kick wood chips into the driveway. You need sweeping connected masses not scattered polka dot clutter. Connect all those red lines into one single large bed that takes up the center of that driveway island leaving a clean uniform strip of grass around the outer perimeter. Grass is always going to struggle fighting those mature tree roots for water and light anyway so stop forcing it to grow right up to the trunks.
Do not just pile wood chips over those exposed PVC pipes or bury the tree root flares in mulch volcanoes. That rots the bark and slowly kills the trees. The right way to hide those utility pipes is by planting a dense structural layer of dry shade groundcovers like native sedges or woodland ferns right over the whole interior bed. That instantly hides the ugly hardware gives you actual visual interest and holds the soil together so your mulch does not wash out onto the asphalt every time it rains.
Before you start digging up sod and hauling wheelbarrows of material run a photo of this circle through the GardenDream web app. You can use it to map out that single unified bed line and overlay actual shade groundcovers to see how the layout flows together in the space. It is a good safety net to visualize the exact scale of the bed so you get your plant placements right the first time without wasting money.
Don’t use weird shapes, they suck to mow around. Make a circle or mulch the whole area. Don’t suffocate the trees by building up mulch too much around the trunk
I would go with whole area mulched. It’s better for soil and plant in the future. Mulch will decompose and feed the soil, better moisture and weeds control. If you feel like separations in some areas, then I would do rock paths. But still keep it simple and no more than 2-3 separate elements in this space.
Say no to mulchcanos!
what do you mean “help with the grass?”
I assume you want to kill the grass? or do you want it? what do you want the mulch to be doing? why are there all these lights? why is PVC exposed? what are the trees? what do you want here?
I like river rock over mulch. Put it down once instead of every year…
Mulch area yes, however don’t pile it up to tree trunks. Trees trunks need to breathe so they dont get fungus and other diseases. Seen many a tree die because of mulch piled at base.
Damn, it is that High School math people say you never need 😅
Keep the mulch off of the root flare on the trees, be prepared to clean up mulch every time you get strong wind or rain. Remember you have to mow around it if you make weird shapes.
Sincerely,
Someone who works for a city that tried this.
It would be interesting. Don’t make your life hell when you go to mow.
No! lol do something unique if you do though. Mulch with Belgium block maybe some nice shade shrubs with flowers in spring. If you aren’t going to do it the whole way leave it. It won’t look right.
Is that a penis?
Just mulch the whole thing 😂 I honestly see the vision it’s just not worth it in my opinion