The best landscaping material depends on your specific goal—whether you need weed suppression, a clean aesthetic, or a structural foundation. The top foundational options are:
The "rule of 3" in landscaping is a foundational design principle suggesting that grouping elements in odd numbers—specifically sets of three—creates more visual balance, rhythm, and natural harmony than even-numbered pairs. It helps outdoor spaces look organic and thoughtfully designed rather than scattered or overly rigid.
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🍁 Mid-Fall (Late September – October)
This is the ideal window for insulating your plants and protecting soil before winter. By now, soil has cooled but hasn't frozen, making it the right time to apply mulch for root insulation.
Start with a range of power tools (like mowers, blowers, trimmers, and saws), hand tools (such as pruners, shovels, trowels, and rakes), and specialized lawn equipment (aerators, tillers, spreaders, and wheelbarrows) to handle any job efficiently. Prioritize safety gear and comfort.
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TruGreen applies a customized mixture of liquid and granular products tailored to your local climate, soil, and grass type. Their standard treatments generally include a combination of fertilizers, weed control, insect management, and disease control.
In most cases, no — you do not need to remove all of your old mulch before adding new. If the existing layer is still in reasonable condition, raking it to break up any compaction and topping it off with one inch of fresh material is the smarter, more efficient approach.
Avoid mulching in early spring when soil is still cold and wet, as it traps cold moisture and stunts growth. Do not apply mulch directly against tree trunks or plant stems to prevent rot and pest infestation. Also, avoid putting down new mulch before weeding or before heavy rains and high winds, which can wash it away.
Yes, you should absolutely water mulch immediately after putting it down. Giving the freshly laid mulch a thorough soak helps to settle the pieces together, locks the material in place so it won't blow away, and washes away loose dust.
To make your yard look expensive, focus on creating crisp, defined edges for garden beds, layering plants by height, adding architectural outdoor lighting, and using high-quality mulch. Investing in large, cohesive planters and maintaining a perfectly manicured, lush lawn adds an instant, luxurious "dream home" feel.
The four primary types of natural landscapes are mountains, plains, deserts, and coastal regions. Each represents distinct physical features on the Earth's surface shaped by tectonic activity, erosion, and climate.
Read on to learn some of the most common mistakes made by beginner gardeners—and how to avoid them.
Common landscaping mistakes often stem from skipping the planning phase or prioritizing aesthetics over long-term maintenance. The biggest pitfalls to avoid include ignoring your yard's drainage patterns, planting without accounting for mature plant sizes, and choosing the wrong plants for your specific climate and light conditions.
The classic plant that universally says "I love you" is the Red Rose. However, if you are looking for long-lasting houseplants or specific symbolic meanings in the Victorian language of flowers, there are several wonderful alternatives to express your deepest affections.
A successful landscaping project follows a strict sequence: site prep and demolition, underground utilities, hardscaping, grading, irrigation, planting, and finishing touches. Building in this order prevents costly damage to completed work and ensures your yard functions exactly as planned.
Mulching during fall has its own unique benefits. "In temperate zones, apply mulch in early to mid-fall, around late September to October. This conserves moisture and insulates roots before winter," says Betz.
There are some species that tolerate excessive mulch better than others. Some of the worst effected plants are grassy plants (iris, daylilies, liriope, etc.), Indian Hawthorn, Azaleas and Loropetalum.
You should put plain, unprinted cardboard or newspaper under your mulch. These materials act as an excellent natural weed barrier. They smother existing weeds, retain soil moisture, and naturally decompose to enrich the soil, unlike synthetic alternatives.
Yes, you can absolutely put new mulch directly over old mulch. As it breaks down, old mulch enriches your soil. However, to keep your plants healthy and prevent disease, you need to make sure you aren't over-mulching.
No, you do not have to mulch every year if your primary goal is just moisture retention and weed control. However, organic mulches decompose into the soil, so most gardeners apply a thin, 1-inch layer annually to refresh the color and maintain the recommended 2 to 3-inch depth.
Yes, mulch is incredibly effective at suppressing weeds. It deprives weed seeds of the sunlight they need to germinate and blocks newly sprouted weeds from reaching the surface.
“Poor Man's Fertilizer” is an expression to describe an early spring snow, and there's actual science behind it! “Snow and other forms of precipitation contain nutrients such as nitrogen and sulfur.
To kill weeds permanently, you need to eliminate the root system while stopping future seeds from germinating. There is no single magic bullet, but combining a targeted post-emergent (to kill existing weeds) with a pre-emergent (to prevent regrowth) delivers the longest-lasting results.
Top Rated Lawn Fertilizer