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Soil, Compost & Mulch

Mulch Color for Flower Bed with Red Brown Brick House

8 years ago

Doing some Landscaping and trying to decide on mulch
color. In that past I used red mulch,
but it stands out like a soar thumb. I
do not think the first thing one should notice is the mulch color. Here are a couple of pictures of the flower
bed. You can see it is a red brown brick home.
The 2nd and 3rd picture is just the top soil, so that gives you an
idea how black mulch would look.

http://screencast.com/t/vayCLOn1hF

http://screencast.com/t/in5QTVNd0e

http://screencast.com/t/FDujeB3KPT

Here is what my local much place sells.

Bark 2 sizes

http://screencast.com/t/sIpGGh3RJQfl

Cypress, Red and Black as shown below:

http://screencast.com/t/sIpGGh3RJQfl

Any suggestions?

Featured Answer

toxcrusadr

8 years ago

Well, I've never been a fan of artificially colored mulches. So I would say 'mulch colored' or in other words 'natural'. :-]

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Comments (17)

lisanti07028
8 years ago
The plain old brown/tan woodchips turn a nice grey after a month or so.
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littlebug zone 5 Missouri
8 years ago
I am constantly amazed that people will actually buy that red/orange mulch. I like brown, but not everybody sells it. If I can't find brown, I get tan.
kimmq
8 years ago
Any natural color mulch is good, and you are right that a mulch should not be the first thing one notices. I find the dyed mulches, those garish reds, blacks, and gold, to be very offensive to the eye.

kimmq is kimmsr
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darth_veeder
8 years ago
get a bucket of each, lay it down and see which one you like.

Different strokes for different folks
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gumby_ct
8 years ago
5 separate links to click on - I must admit to not clicking on any.
But if you do get a bucket of each, do post pics we don't have to click on.

You don't say where on this glorious planet you are located but I will say I think that black mulch can/will overheat the soil.

Rubber from tires is nothing more than chemicals so I would avoid that type in a vegetable garden or where people, children, or pets frequent.
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toxcrusadr
8 years ago
Definitely much better uses for tires. That stuff doesn't even break down so it will be a nuisance forever, even if the smell doesn't bother you.
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rwbil
Original Author
8 years ago
I took your advice and put out 5 different mulches. I zoomed in on them. From left to right I have Pine Bark, Cypress, Red, Black, Brown. The 1st 2 are natural the last 3 colored mulch. I am leaning towards the pine bark or brown. Any thoughts
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gumby_ct
8 years ago
I like the first two but hey it's your call.
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rwbil
Original Author
8 years ago
The first 2 picture wise order are Pine Bark and Brown Colored mulch. Yes I am leaning that way also. Next picture in order is red on left and black on right. Next picture showing 3 is Pine Bark, Cypress then Red.
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jnavarro31
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Like others, I'm not a fan of the colored mulches. I use shredded cedar for the borders in the front of my house. I love the way it smells and how it ages to a "natural" color that goes well with with my 90 year old brick house and the cedar picket fence I have. The colored mulches look artificial to me. It costs a bit more upfront, but cedar mulch lasts longer. Just my $0.02.
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rwbil
Original Author
8 years ago
if it was a small bed I would go with the cedar, but the bed is pretty big and at $9 a bag that gets expensive. In addition I have another bigger bed in the back that needs to be redone that I want use the same mulch to match. Previously did it in red, but not crazy about that color.
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mblan13
8 years ago
I like the darkest natural without being dyed.

IMHO, lighter colored natural and bright unnatural colors detract attention from the plants you want people to notice.
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rwbil
Original Author
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
the darkest natural would be the Pine Bark. I saw one place that sold a Fine Pine Bark but I was not sure if that is a good mulch for plants
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jnavarro31
8 years ago
Fine Pine Bark is partially composted pine bark. It is mostly used as a soil conditioner and as potting media. It's great stuff, but you'll have to apply it more often as a mulch because it breaks down much faster.
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redtartan
8 years ago
If it's in an area where we harvest from the plant I only use straw, wood chips and bark. In the areas that we don't harvest from we have a bottom layer of wood chips and bark (we have wood heat so plenty for free), then on top I use decorative mulch. Nothing offsets green like a deep dark brown or black IMO. I find the the plain gray chips (due to fading) look very blah very quickly.
darth_veeder
8 years ago
Personally I really like the looks of the pine bark in the first photo.

I use non dyed shredded wood mulch for two reasons.

I like the way it looks and I can get it for $10 a yard. Maybe not in that order. lol
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