Clean bed edges, the right depth, and a finish that lasts the season.
Pine straw is lighter, cheaper per square foot, easy to refresh and it looks natural under pines and around acid-loving plants like azaleas. It breaks down faster and it can wash on a slope.
Hardwood mulch lasts longer, holds a slope better, holds moisture well and gives a more finished look around a foundation. It costs more and it is heavier to install.
Plenty of properties around Clayton use both: straw in the natural pine areas out back, mulch in the beds people actually see from the road.
Two to three inches is the target. Less than that and weeds come straight through and the soil dries out. More than that and water struggles to reach the roots.
The one thing we never do is pile mulch up against a trunk. Those cones you see around trees in parking lots trap moisture against the bark, invite rot and pests, and kill trees slowly enough that nobody connects the two. Mulch gets pulled back from the trunk, every time.
Spring is the popular window, which is also when everyone else is booking. Fall is quietly the better one: the beds get insulated through winter, weeds get suppressed before they start, and the schedule is open.
Call or text (984) 212-1016 and we will measure your beds and quote it.