Mulch is a Tool, Not a Rule

Mulch can be useful. That doesnt' mean every garden needs it.

Mulch is often treated as one of those things you're simply supposed to put in a garden. But I prefer to think of mulch as a tool—and like any tool, whether you need it depends on the garden.

Mulch can help suppress weeds, conserve moisture, and give a newly planted bed a finished appearance. When plants are young and there is still plenty of open ground between them, it can be especially helpful.

But a mature perennial garden is different.

As perennials grow and begin to touch one another, their foliage shades the ground naturally. There is less exposed soil, less room for weeds, and often much less need for mulch.

In a cottage garden, wildflower garden, or native planting, I don't believe you need to see a layer of mulch between every plant. In fact, leaving room for plants to fill in and mingle is part of what gives these gardens their character.

I would much rather see money spent on good compost added annually than assume another layer of mulch is always the answer.

More mulch isn't necessarily better. Piling it deeply around the crowns of perennials or against the trunks of trees and shrubs can create problems rather than solve them.

The goal isn't to mulch the garden.

The goal is to use mulch when the garden needs it.

Happy Planting,

Jennifer