Not sure if you are talking about carpenter ants but if you are they do not eat wood. They tunnel through the wood to get their food. They will eat termites so if you think they are carpenter ants you should check for termites. other black ants often are just "looking around" your house for food. If the wood is moist try to dry it out by grading your lawn away from your house or looking for areas where water enters the walls or basement (window sills?) Also move all wood (piles of debris or building materials) away from the house. If there are any rotted trees near the house I would have them removed. The ants could have a hideout there and just run to your house to look for food. if you find out why they are there (rotted wood, searching for food or termites even) then you will be able to get rid of them. Also, I once spent a couple days redoing my landscaping once and ended by putting in nice new wood mulch. After a day the mulch was crawling w/ carpenter ants. I removed all the mulch and replaced it with landscaping rocks (I picked red-lava rocks that look like cedar mulch almost) and the ants left. If you have any wood mulch I would remove that from any landscaping near your house. -rj

Have been using river rock for years, and switched to that after years of frustration w/wood mulch, cedar chips, and everything else. Roots run deep, and IMO always seems to be easier to grow through wood mulch vs. rock. However, it's a matter of preference. As far as moving rock to plant perennials in, no matter how big or small the area, I have never ever had a problem moving the rocks for the area I want to work in. However, when moving the rocks, I never use a shovel but rather my foot!!! Yes, I use the length of my foot (either side) to scoot the rocks over and out of my way and then use the same method to put them back after I'm finished planting. If you think of it in biological terms, our legs have more muscle strength than our arms. Also, bending, squatting, and then standing up with a shovel full of rocks for 2-5 hours can put excessive strain on the back. If you're able to hold on to a fence, or other device, try to use your foot to move/scoot the rocks out of your way. Make sure you have a good pair of gardening boots and/or sneakers on before you do this. Physically moving old rock that is atop old material ... I used my wheel barrel by tilting it, setting a shovel full of rock at edge (to hold down in slant position. Then, I lifted the material with the river rock and let the rocks fall/slide into the wheel barrel. With an extra helping hand, these simplified techniques can help minimize the strain on your back. If using a shovel, use a flat/spaded type, and make sure to squat down NOT bend down, as you bring the heavy end as close to your body, then slowly stand up (never twist your body to throw and lay stone/rock), reposition feet and lay the rock into barrel or desired location. Hope this helps.

I might seek another opinion. The type of mulch you use has nothing to do with foundation issues. From what little I know about such things after having a 'problem basement' years ago in OH, wrapping the basement walls is usually done all the way around the house. I don't see how doing one wall could solve the problem. Where does the water go from that drainpipe? It should go away from the house, not into the ground next to it. That looks like the problem to me from what little one can see in these pics. Does the ground slope down toward the house there also? The ground should slope away from the house. Then water flows away from it and doesn't pool up around the outside of the basement walls. There is no reason I would ever use rock as mulch. It's too hard to pull weeds out. I don't feel like I can see enough of what's to the left in the first pic to suggest any particular plants. Also have no idea where you are, what garden zone? Which way does this house face?

I agree with The Virginian. I'm trying to replace some of my lawn with shrubs and flowers, so whenever I need a new area cleared, I lay down cardboard, then whatever organic material I can get my hands on. One of my neighbors gives me his grass clippings, so that usually goes on first. Last fall, I collected 30 bags of leaves one afternoon, and shredded that, then laid it down over the grass clippings. I've been having a ball all spring, watching various kinds of birds pick through it, looking for bugs. Besides eliminating the need to cut off the sod, by the time I plant an area, the top few inches is actual soil. (Under that, unfortunately, is pure, heavy, clay.) Shredded leaves, raked out evenly, look just as nice as mulch, IMHO.