Hello everyone! How is that yard going this fall? Are the leaves winning? Do you know where to begin? How do you create a "wow curb appeal" on a low budget? Do you have an easy plan to follow to achieve the "wow" factor?
The Oxford Wow Appeal project is going full speed ahead folks! Several couples are already at the stage where they have begun to purchase plants. This means that they are over halfway finished! I can't wait to see how everything turns out! When I asked one participant what has been the hardest part of the project so far, she said,"getting the bed lines to curve the right way." That is true, that can be very tricky, and easy to mess up. How do your shrub bed lines look?
In one of our previous newsletters, I asked you to send me your questions and/or comments.
Here is one from Joanne:
Joanne would like to know which type of mulch is best to use? I use a great deal of pine straw for several reasons. Pine straw is easy to move around and distribute, which makes it less labor intensive than hardwood mulch. Also, pine straw is much more forgiving than other types of mulches. Pine straw allows the roots of trees and shrubs to breathe better. If you accidentally add too much pine straw, especially on the the trunk of a tree or shrub, the plant will not suffer.
Hardwood mulch is also good and has its benefits, but when it is piled on the base of plant stems or tree trunks it causes real problems for the plant. Plants need to breathe. Placing too much hardwood mulch on the base of shrubs is one of the top three killers of shrubs I see. However, the issue is not with the hardwood mulch but more so with the application of this particular type of mulch.
Pine straw also locks together better, to prevent weeds and erosion issues. I use hardwood mulch around pools and water features that have a solid surface, because on dry, windy, days the pine straw may get blown into an undesirable area. I also use hardwood mulch for nature trails because it is easier to walk on.
Both pine straw and hardwood mulches are great if applied correctly, but I favor pine straw in most cases. Especially for a normal "around the foundation" house mulch.
If you like the "wow factor" and if the budget allows, you should do two pine straw mulchings: I like to mulch in January, right after I have cleaned up all the old leaves, then again in June or July.
If you are adding a new shrub bed to the yard, you can expect your bed will need an additional mulching in another 2-3 months, until you get a good organic layer down.
Remember "wow curb appeal" can add up to 15% to a house's value.
Hello everyone! How is that yard going this fall? Are the leaves winning? Do you know where to begin? How do you create a "wow curb appeal" on a low budget? Do you have an easy plan to follow to achieve the "wow" factor?
The Oxford Wow Appeal project is going full speed ahead folks! Several couples are already at the stage where they have begun to purchase plants. This means that they are over halfway finished! I can't wait to see how everything turns out! When I asked one participant what has been the hardest part of the project so far, she said,"getting the bed lines to curve the right way." That is true, that can be very tricky, and easy to mess up. How do your shrub bed lines look?
In one of our previous newsletters, I asked you to send me your questions and/or comments.
Here is one from Joanne:
Joanne would like to know which type of mulch is best to use? I use a great deal of pine straw for several reasons. Pine straw is easy to move around and distribute, which makes it less labor intensive than hardwood mulch. Also, pine straw is much more forgiving than other types of mulches. Pine straw allows the roots of trees and shrubs to breathe better. If you accidentally add too much pine straw, especially on the the trunk of a tree or shrub, the plant will not suffer.
Hardwood mulch is also good and has its benefits, but when it is piled on the base of plant stems or tree trunks it causes real problems for the plant. Plants need to breathe. Placing too much hardwood mulch on the base of shrubs is one of the top three killers of shrubs I see. However, the issue is not with the hardwood mulch but more so with the application of this particular type of mulch.
Pine straw also locks together better, to prevent weeds and erosion issues. I use hardwood mulch around pools and water features that have a solid surface, because on dry, windy, days the pine straw may get blown into an undesirable area. I also use hardwood mulch for nature trails because it is easier to walk on.
Both pine straw and hardwood mulches are great if applied correctly, but I favor pine straw in most cases. Especially for a normal "around the foundation" house mulch.
If you like the "wow factor" and if the budget allows, you should do two pine straw mulchings: I like to mulch in January, right after I have cleaned up all the old leaves, then again in June or July.
If you are adding a new shrub bed to the yard, you can expect your bed will need an additional mulching in another 2-3 months, until you get a good organic layer down.
Remember "wow curb appeal" can add up to 15% to a house's value.