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 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.

Yeah, um, $19 a truckload.... SOOOO not happening here. In fact, I don't even know of a place that sells it in bulk. I have to drive 20 miles just to get it in bags, and I live in the metro area! And, I paid $5 for a 2 cuft bag! I use it around my ICU garden.... for the few minis I have and the plants that need to grow up before I put them in with the more mature hosta. Believe me, if I could, I would switch to bark fines.... I like the look, it holds its color, doesn't have the drawbacks of cocoa bean mulch, etc. But, if you consider that to do my entire garden, that'd take about 175-200 bags of mulch, it'd be a lot of money and work to replace it. Around here, it seems buying in bulk is cost prohibitive because of delivery fees. I get cypress on sale at Home Depot in the spring for $1.38-1.75 a bag. So, last year, where I used 80 bags (essentially 6 cubic yards) to freshen up the old mulch and start new beds, I paid $110. The delivery fees alone would have been around $40 (and that's for a place 2 miles down the road!). And nowhere I know sells mulch for less than $10 a yard! Plus, I think bulk mulch is harder to work with.... shovel it into the wheelbarrow, walk the wheelbarrow, shovel it out of the wheelbarrow, return and repeat. With bags, I can get about 1/2 a yard in my wheelbarrow, take the bags right to where I need them and dump them out. WAY less work. I guess I do have concern about the mulch smothering my hostas, so maybe each year, I'll try to fluff a section or two just to make sure there's not too much build up. Thanks everyone for your opinions!

zone 4 - ES will work, sun is not an issue, winter protection is needed - you should expect winter diebacks on the old woods, the blooms will come from the new woods...mulch the base heavily for winter protection.. Annabelle - most definitely reliable for zone 4 - blooms on new wood, hardy and tough, zone 4 should not be an issue...should expect some winter diebacks, you may even want to trim the bush down to about 18 inch to 2 ft every spring to encourage more new wood growth (and thus more blooms).. ES is more a zone pusher for zone 4, annabelle should be a reliable performer. other reliable performers for zone 4 are those bloom on new woods - limelight, quickfire, pinky winky...and they actually like to have more sun...but your 4-5 hr mid-day sun in wisconsin will do just fine. nothing special about watering - just need well drain soil at the site - the weather is more moderate in zone 4 - just watch the plants during the continental heatwaves in july/aug... jmho.