That's not all there is to mulch, however; not by a long shot. Attractiveness is only part of mulch's attractiveness. Mulch is actually very good for plants as well. We mentioned above that mulch frustrates weeds, but what we didn't say is that mulch helps to keep soil cool. When the sun is really baking, when it's at its zenith and frying soil everywhere, mulched soil is protected by-mulch. The soil keeps its coolness, the plants tend to not wither so quickly. Now, we're talking about wood mulch here-it's wood mulch that really benefits your garden, both aesthetically and health-wise. Wood mulch not only helps soil retain coolness, it helps it retain water, too; wood mulch keeps moisture in the soil where it belongs, instead of letting it evaporate uselessly into the air. Instead, the plants get to drink heartily in a cool environment. You can think of mulch as a sort of air conditioner and beverage provider in one.

Now, mulching isn't merely a process of filling up the old truck with mulch and dumping it over your garden. There's a certain timing involved with proper mulching, much as there is with every single other aspect of gardening. You don't want to lay mulch down in the cold, soggy months. If you lay mulch down in the cold, soggy months, what you're going to get is mold and fungus trouble. Mold and fungus will begin to grow in their hairy, rubbery way underneath the mulch, and there's nothing guaranteed to wither a plant's prospects faster than mold and fungus. You want to lay that mulch down in a dry time, a warm time. May, in fact, is a great month for mulch. May is the mulch month, many gardeners agree. In May you have a nice, dry soil that's just perfect for the mulching process.

We've mentioned mulch and weeds a few times. Some people have made the mistake of thinking that just throwing mulch down on top of weeds will do the trick-that is, will kill those pesky weeds. It won't. It'll flatten many of them, to be sure, but soon enough you'll see those unsightly weeds thrusting up their slender green heads through your nice dark beautiful mulch. Before laying your mulch down, then, you've got to vigorously weed your garden. Vigorously weed. Dig up the weeds by their roots, poison their holes, etc. Then apply that heavy, wondrous mulch. You get weeds because of weed particles blowing randomly through the air, little weed seeds that settle down on your nice garden and take root. Once your garden is cleared of weeds, and you have a layer of mulch laid evenly down like a shield, those weed seeds will have nothing to take root in.

Wood mulch comes in different shapes and sizes and colors. Some people prefer a dark, dark mulch, almost a rich soil color, while others prefer a woody-looking mulch. Much of their mulch preference depends on their specific garden. Some garden arrangements look good with this color, some garden arrangements look good with that color. When choosing your own special brand of mulch for your own special garden place, be sure to consult with other gardeners-online, your neighbors, the experts at gardening outlets-and get all the information you can about what mulch might work best for you. You'll not only have a more beautiful garden in the end, you'll have a healthier garden, a garden that lasts.