May flowers are growing, starting to bloom, and gardens are being planted for future food sources.  It is a wonderful time of year if you love to dig in the dirt and play with plants.  Of course, if you own a home or have a garden, you know that one of the most important things to help keep weeds away is to have a good, thick, mulch layer in and around your plants, bushes, flowers, and trees.  Mulch can also add to the curb appeal of a home when done right, consistently, and well as part of a total landscape project.

Did you know that mulch actually has much more importance than simply adding to the beauty of the outside of your home?  Here are just five (of many!) reasons you should use mulch in your flower beds and your plant gardens:

Heat trapping

Much like a blanket keeps a person warm in the winter, mulch acts as a barrier against the cold in the Fall and Winter months.  People don’t often think to spread mulch in the Fall, but it is critical for protecting perennials so they can come back the next Spring even more luscious and beautiful than the year prior.  Proper mulch distribution keeps the soil warm and protects the plants in hibernations as they prepare for Spring underground.

Create pathways

When creating a true garden oasis, people often use mulch to help build upon the natural flow of a garden space.  Unlike rock, which is more harsh and tends to be more hazardous to walk upon, or concrete, which often has to be sealed and redone, mulch is a quick, inexpensive way to enhance a lush garden through a more natural pathway element.

Weed prevention and control

Mulch is a great protection against weed and rampant grass growth.  Spreading thick mulch layers upon fresh topsoil keeps the weeds from growing more readily into your flower beds or plant gardens, and fosters a more healthy, warm environment for plants to grow.

Control soil erosion

Soil should not be left uncovered for many reasons, one of which is erosion.  The ground is covered by grass, trees, flowers, and other plants as part of nature, so any ground left uncovered should be given a layer of mulch to prevent it from being blown or washed away.  it is important to keep the ground covered to prevent it from eroding away.

Feed the soil 

Worms live in topsoil, which is important to grow crucial soil fungi and bacteria through food and moisture.  Organic mulch is critical to protecting this environment, as it has the capacity to hold water without flooding, which keeps the ground moist and ripe for proper worm population expansion.  Leaving a thick layer on top vs. tilling it into the ground is the key, as tilling the mulch into the ground destroys the worm population.

As you prepare your flower beds and plant gardens this Spring, make sure you add a fresh, new, thick mulch layer in and around your garden beds.  It is critical to keep the growth stable, to ensure proper nutrients are staying in place, and to protect against weeds and other elements that cause erosion.  Mulch is the best way to keep everything in your garden fresh, beautiful, and protected!