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April 12, 2006
the task that i put off for five years has now been completed.
Six years ago, I moved into my house. There were large beds beautifully mulched with pine straw.
The next year, i knew i needed to mulch. I was lost, though. I didn't know where to start, or where to get mulch, or how much to get, or who to ask.
The beds were never mulched. They grew weedy, and the large L-shaped bed in the back completely disappeared.
This morning, I measured my back yard and the big bed-- which I plan to bring back-- by walking it. I have written these measurements in my beautiful Molskine notebook to keep for all time: 64' x 36' for the back yard, that's 2300 sq. ft. 64' x 18' for the side of the L bed, that's 1150 sq. ft. 36' x 10' for the bottom of the L, that's 360 sq. ft. I have about 1500 sq. ft. to mulch in the back.
The good people at Barnes Supply on 9th St. tell me that one of their bales will mulch 100 sq. ft. to a 2-3" depth, so I have ordered 16 bales to be delivered Friday. Any extra will be put to good use in the front beds and elsewhere.
Now, why did it take me five years to figure out how to order mulch? I guess when it comes to gardening, I'm in the slow group.
update: The Barnes delivery guy, Gary, called me around 1pm in the truck with my mulch, unable to find my house. I hope my co-workers were entertained by our ensuing conversation, in which I lead him from the intersection of Duke and Markham all the way to the little white house with a silver Beetle parked in front. Gary was pretty entertaining to talk to. He felt the need to extoll the virtues of their mulch over that of Lowes during the lulls in conversation. I guess Barnes feels the pinch of the big box stores.
Posted by lisa at April 12, 2006 11:25 AM
Comments
Sounds like a huge project, I hope you'll post photos when it's done!
I buy straw from Barnes too but I didn't know they deliver! Last time I bought 2 bales, and when I told the woman one of them would have to go in the back seat (this was pre-truck) she looked relieved and said "I'm glad you knew that so I didn't have to tell you!" I guess they have to deal with people who buy too much straw and then get indignant about putting it inside their cars.
Posted by: Sarah on April 12, 2006 02:10 PM
i love barnes!
yet i didn't know they deliver mulch.
this is good to know.
Posted by: xta on April 12, 2006 02:12 PM
The delivery fee for this load (16 bales) was $15, which I think is half what Lowes quoted me years ago.
The price per bale is higher than Lowes. But Gary probably wasn't just being a salesman when he said the quality is better-- I've heard mention in my many Googlings that big box stores have crappy pine straw mulch that doesn't cover as well. And I like to support Barnes.
For the kind of quantity that I need, it was so, so worth it.
I do plan to do lots of before and after photos of the whole back yard!
Hopefully the change in my yard will be pretty dramatic.
Posted by: lisa on April 12, 2006 02:32 PM
ok, so a) your comment won't post right away because i have to approve it first and b) you might get a server error but your comment probably posted anyway and c) previewing doesn't work so i've removed the preview button.