Garden Beds & Mulch Guide

Garden beds frame the home and protect the foundation. Mulch is the cheapest upgrade that pays off in weeds, water, and curb appeal.

Prepare the bed

1. Edge the bed with a clean spade line — a crisp edge makes everything look intentional.
2. Clear weeds and grass; a stale-bed technique (water, wait a week, hoe sprouts) beats fighting mature weeds.
3. Amend the soil: compost worked into the top 6 inches improves any soil.

Choose plants

• Right plant, right place. Match sun, water, and zone.
• Native plants need less water and feed local pollinators.
• Mature size matters more than the pot size — space for the full-grown plant.

Mulch

• 2–3 inches deep, not more — deeper mulch blocks air and water from roots.
• Keep mulch off trunks and stems — a "mulch volcano" rots the bark.
• Refresh annually by fluffing old mulch and adding a thin top layer.
• Organic mulch (shredded bark, compost, leaf mold) feeds the soil; stone lasts but adds nothing.

Watering new beds

• New transplants need steady water for the first season — 1 inch per week, more in heat.
• Water the root ball, not the leaves.
• Mulch after watering to hold moisture.

Low-maintenance tips

• Group plants by water need so you're not overwatering one to save another.
• Drip irrigation or soaker hoses under mulch beat overhead sprinklers.
• Edge and top-dress once a year — that's 80% of a tidy bed.

When to call a pro

Large bed installations, retaining walls over 18 inches, or drainage issues near the foundation need a landscape contractor — small water problems near the house become big ones.