Mulch is not decoration

Mulch gets treated like paint. It is actually infrastructure.

What two inches buys you

Moisture held through heat waves, weeds smothered before they sprout, and soil life fed as it breaks down. Skip the dyed stuff; plain fir or hemlock does the job and feeds the bed.

The one mistake

Mulch piled against stems rots them. We keep a clear ring around every trunk and crown, every time.