A crunchy mulch

bags o conesMulch is on my mind. I wanted to landscape the area in front of my potting shed. It is hard and dry but tough weeds have appeared over the season. And this a dry year. I imagine it would be very lush and weedy indeed in a good one.   And it needs to look neater. My dream of having decking and cold frame structures has to be put aside for a while.

An idea came to me while I was up in the forest. Pine cones.   There is almost a carpet of small cones up on the path. I have trudged past them on numerous occasions this past week and cottoned on. Maybe I can have a carpet of my very own down at the working end of the garden.

And I can always use them for firewood if they don’t work out. I always toss a handful into the kindling mix when I light a fire.fabric first

So up to the forest with large Ikea bags and kneelers and a collecting I did go.

half mulchAnd here’s the result. It’s wonderfully crunchy and satisfying to walk over. And with the weedproof fabric mulch underneath I stand a chance of it working for a bit.

By late afternoon I had another brainwave; easier to reach pine cones. There is a pile in the east garden. I rake these ones assiduously every year to make mowing easier.   And this time I could sit down while I pick. So I’m very very close. Just two more big bags and I should have enough mulch to cover the area. pine mulch

I do need to do a bit of hard forking to reshape the east approach of the path. It’s a bit steep. But that will have to wait. I need to nip up to Vernoux first thing for car servicing and bread. And Nutella. Landscapers do not live on bread alone.