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  • Looking for a decorative mulch

    What do people use to mulch their flower garden with? I've used cocoashell for the past 35 years or so, but I can't get it to save my life this year. The local garden centre which used to stock it says the supplier (Arthur Bowers) no longer do it, and an online search gives only results which say it is not available.

    I don't know what to do without my trusty cocoashell

    (Requirements - looks nice, suppresses weeds, deters cats and slugs, rots down nicely).
    Last edited by Penellype; 07-05-2015, 02:51 PM.
    A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP. - Leonard Nimoy

  • #2
    cocoa shell is deadly poisonous to dogs....quite a few died; I suspect that's why it's not available.

    Can I ask though, what is different (aesthetically speaking) between cocoa shell and bark chippings?
    I thought they looked the same?
    http://goneplotterin.blogspot.co.uk/

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    • #3
      I just mulch with garden compost, too tight to buy anything but then again there isn't much space between the plants come high summer

      Some of us live in the past, always talking about back then. Some of us live in the future, always planning what we are going to do. And, then there are those, who neither look behind or ahead, but just enjoy the moment of right now.

      Which one are you and is it how you want to be?

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      • #4
        Thanks for the answers.

        I don't have a dog and my back garden is completely enclosed so dogs can't get in. I dislike the chunky appearance of bark, and I find the birds throw it about much more than cocoashell, which sticks together once it gets wet, and is therefore harder for weeds to grow through. I use mulches because once my garden is planted up for the summer there are places I can't reach for 4-5 months and I don't want the weeds to go to seed in the meantime. I'm about 100 yards from open fields so a lot of seeds blow in on the wind and would simply root into compost.
        A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP. - Leonard Nimoy

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        • #5
          Penellype, Greenfingers have it in stock...dont know how much you normally pay, thought this was expensive.

          J Arthur Bowers Cocoa Shell Mulch 50 litre on Sale | Fast Delivery | Greenfingers.com
          If someone has lost their smile, give them one of yours. :

          Children seldom misquote you. In fact they usually repeat word for word what you shouldn't have said

          God made rainy days so gardeners could get the housework done

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          • #6
            Scrap that, it is discontinued.

            Sorry
            If someone has lost their smile, give them one of yours. :

            Children seldom misquote you. In fact they usually repeat word for word what you shouldn't have said

            God made rainy days so gardeners could get the housework done

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            • #7
              Found these people on gurgle...

              Edited because the link doesn't work.......sorry Penellype.
              Last edited by muddled; 08-05-2015, 07:30 PM.
              http://goneplotterin.blogspot.co.uk/

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              • #8
                How about composted bark? - it's much finer than the chipped bark.

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by Penellype View Post
                  What do people use to mulch their flower garden with?
                  Anything: old plants, weeds etc, chopped up and dropped. It only looks messy for a short while, until the flowers grow big and cover it.

                  I do go for very close planting, with no bare ground showing. I'm not a fan of the lonely geranium in a sea of brown soil.
                  All gardeners know better than other gardeners." -- Chinese Proverb.

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Two_Sheds View Post
                    I do go for very close planting, with no bare ground showing. I'm not a fan of the lonely geranium in a sea of brown soil.
                    My approach too, looks nicer and is easier to maintain.

                    Some of us live in the past, always talking about back then. Some of us live in the future, always planning what we are going to do. And, then there are those, who neither look behind or ahead, but just enjoy the moment of right now.

                    Which one are you and is it how you want to be?

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Thanks all. I've found some "decorative mini bark" which is finer than the huge chunky stuff used for kids playground areas. The main problem area is under my minature apple tree, which is low to the ground and therefore unsuitable for growing things under, so the soil remains visible. Reaching under and behind it to get at weeds growing near the fence is a nightmare - I'm too old for standing on my head and twisting. My philosophy is to prevent weeds from starting and to remove any that do grow at less than an inch high if possible, so chopping for mulching isn't really viable.

                      Anyway I'll see how I get on with the mini bark, which I haven't had time to put down yet.
                      A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP. - Leonard Nimoy

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