Ooops! Forgot to mention I was looking for something around the metro north/west area of boston. Around lexington area maybe. :-)

Last year I bought bagged dark, almost black, mulch at Dodge Grain on Rt 28 in Salem NH. They charged the "by the yard" price if you bought 9 bags. I think I paid $35/yd. They only offered bagged material. I find the bagged material easier for me to handle. I just place few bags in my wagon and lay the bags on the ground and dump the contents out. I need a total of 10 yards this year-but I don't want to look at a huge pile sitting in my driveway. This way I can get a yard every weekend and spread as I go. Works for me. My one concern is that it may have been dyed-I hope not and will have to be more careful. I am also tempted by the dark mulch from Erics on Rt 28 in Reading MA. Their material looked good-but it is not bagged and must be delivered.

We don't use bark mulch. We use a mixture of 50/50 leaf mould & manure even in the shrub borders. I really like the natural look of it and it breaks down in the soil quicker as well as not tying up as much nitrogen since it's been composted for a season. In the fall, we beg leaves from all around our neighborhood, grind them, compost over the winter adding coffee grounds & manure once/week. By this time, we have a HUGE pile (probably about 7-8 yards) of great stuff ready to apply.

If you do purchase mulch, please do NOT buy cypress. It's a protest thing. We are a certified wildlife refuge site and in my last quarterly magazine there was a headliner article speaking about how the Gulf's (especially LA) cypress trees are being cut down for mulch. The article explained how the process is destroying the cypress forests that help protect the land from large storms such as Katrina. Also, cutting the mature trees prevents younger trees from ever reaching maturity because its the mature trees that soak up the water & dry the land...seedlings need to be dry for several months out of the year in order to prosper & grow. It also said that a lot of what's being sold as cypress bark is really cypress chips and doesn't have the anti-rotting/anti-insect properties people think they're getting. Anyway, please check before purchasing.

I buy it by the yard from one or another of the local contractors who advertise in the local paper. Usually, the more you buy, the cheaper per yard it is. In the past, neighbors have gone in together to buy a large truck-load. It was dumped in the middle of our quiet circle and someone sat in a lawn chair and counted each person's wheelbarrow loads. Then we divided the cost.

Thanks newfiewoofie, for your ideas. I sometimes think the bags are easier to work with too and like you, I have no way of keeping a mountain of mulch in the driveway and won't be able to spread the whole thing in one day. Thanks for reminding me of that. :-)

triciae, I like your style! [g] I would LOVE to collect all the neighborhood leaves and add the amendments all winter and end up with that much material to use in the spring. Sadly that is a bit beyond our abilities to do. You will be happy to know that I have always purchased pine park mulch, liking the natural color better.

Ginny, I think that is a great idea about sharing with your neighbors. I don't seem to see my neighbor's purchasing mulch actually. Sounds like a great neighborhood. :-) The local paper is a good idea, I had forgotten about that.

thanks :-)

Hi Prairie,
I get mine from Saltbox Nursery in Billerica. They have several different types to choose from and their prices are good too. They also let you buy the mulch by the barrel. You bring your own barrels, fill them yourself (they have a shovel but you can bring your own to use too) and pay for the number of barrels you fill. Think the price is between $7 and $10 a barrel. they don't limit you to a certain size barrel so you can bring some really big ones.
Their mulch is really clean, never had any debris or dirt in any that I've had delivered or shoveled into barrels and have used them for the past 15 years.
I have had 4-6 yards dumped in my driveway, and the pile is really overwhelming to look at. When you have a lot of area to put it down on, it doesn't last long.

Fran

Hi Adam (ha ha).
A friend of mine just got hers (dark pine) from Boston Bark in Waltham. I think they have both bag and bulk options. I am looking for a new source, as I used Greenleaf for the last 2 years. Must admit, tho, last year's was FULL of broken glass and plastic debris. I think I'll be picking glass out of my beds for years. I would NEVER order from them again...even if they were still in business. :)
Carolyn

Thanks Fran, now that you mention it, I remember riding past there and seeing huge mountains of mulch. I didn't know they sell it by the barrel. Appreciate the info.

Hi Carolyn....I am surprised someone remembered who I am...lol..with the name change I always wonder. Gee Carolyn I am sorry you had such a bad experience with Greenleaf. I bought compost only from them the year before last or last year, I forget, but anyway, I only bought their compost from Maine that another company made. We also brought containers to their site and shoveled our own into trash bins, so in that way, you see what you are getting. Well, maybe you weren't the only one it happened to and they might have gotten complaints and lost their contract. Thanks for the Boston Bark tip.

Is anyone concerned about asking where the mulch is coming from this year. I read a post about trees in the New Orleans area being ground up for mulch and having termites in them and being shipped. Then I heard that was a hoax. Any clarification on that?

Thanks...we picked up some mulch by the trash can full at the Salt Box Nursery that Fran recommended. Very satisfied with it and getting it that way suited us fine this time around.
Oh, btw, it was $8. per trash can now, and if you bring a smaller container, like a recycle bin, it is $4. for the smaller size.

:-)

The helpmeet works for a nursery/greenhouse. Here's what he shared with me:

Temites are unlikely to survive a New England winter, provided, of course they survive the shredding system.

Maine has hundreds of thousands of cubic meters of mulch. It really doesn't make sense to "import" mulch from "away".