Tweet
For those that have large planters or sloped areas filled with trees, shurbs, and plants, what do you use for ground cover? I want to make a switch and am looking for ideas.
Seems like the main ones are:
1. Bark chips: these look nice initially and are not overly expensive, but after one year, they start looking hammered and faded. In year two, they are all sun faded. We currently have bark chips and are starting year two, so the color has faded noticeably. Since we have a lot of sloped areas, bark chips have proven to be a PITA. They wash away in rain, they blow away in wind, and they are not heavy enough to stabilize on slopes, so I often have barren patches of soil or exposed tarp that I am covering over and over again. Perhaps worst of all, since bark chips are soil mobile, they are constantly ending up all over the lawn and sidewalk areas. Very annoying. I am ready to move on.
2. Synthetics: this stuff looks like shredded wood or bark chip, the colors take around 20 years to fade, and from what I understand, they are heavier than regular wood chips. I have no idea what they are made of, but I am assuming they are not cancerous. Not sure of the cost or how efficiently they allow water to penetrate the soil. The colors are vibrant but some of the homes in my hood have picked the wrong color, resulting in what looks like overly-freakish vibrancy. One house has an almost jet-black synthetic and it looks bad.
3. Rocks: most costly alternative. I think rock accents for landscaping can look really wonderful. However, when rocks become your de facto solution for landscaping, it ceases to be wonderful and all of a sudden your yard looks like one of those fugly yards you see while driving around in Mesa, AZ. Our next door neighbors recently covered their entire yard in dark lava rock. It looks terrible and pisses me off. Their yard looks like a moonscape although they did manage to plant 3 tiny trees on their front slope. I don't think rocks are a good solution for our yard although if done correctly, could look really nice.
What do you all have in your yard? how has it worked out for you over time? Are you considering a switch?
Seems like the main ones are:
1. Bark chips: these look nice initially and are not overly expensive, but after one year, they start looking hammered and faded. In year two, they are all sun faded. We currently have bark chips and are starting year two, so the color has faded noticeably. Since we have a lot of sloped areas, bark chips have proven to be a PITA. They wash away in rain, they blow away in wind, and they are not heavy enough to stabilize on slopes, so I often have barren patches of soil or exposed tarp that I am covering over and over again. Perhaps worst of all, since bark chips are soil mobile, they are constantly ending up all over the lawn and sidewalk areas. Very annoying. I am ready to move on.
2. Synthetics: this stuff looks like shredded wood or bark chip, the colors take around 20 years to fade, and from what I understand, they are heavier than regular wood chips. I have no idea what they are made of, but I am assuming they are not cancerous. Not sure of the cost or how efficiently they allow water to penetrate the soil. The colors are vibrant but some of the homes in my hood have picked the wrong color, resulting in what looks like overly-freakish vibrancy. One house has an almost jet-black synthetic and it looks bad.
3. Rocks: most costly alternative. I think rock accents for landscaping can look really wonderful. However, when rocks become your de facto solution for landscaping, it ceases to be wonderful and all of a sudden your yard looks like one of those fugly yards you see while driving around in Mesa, AZ. Our next door neighbors recently covered their entire yard in dark lava rock. It looks terrible and pisses me off. Their yard looks like a moonscape although they did manage to plant 3 tiny trees on their front slope. I don't think rocks are a good solution for our yard although if done correctly, could look really nice.
What do you all have in your yard? how has it worked out for you over time? Are you considering a switch?
Comment