Mulch Madness

[Chris McN]

Hi All,

Last year we had the landscaping in front of the house redone. I've tinkered with it a bit this year. I've been wanting to utilize black mulch instead of the standard red or brown. I figure it would make the plants pop out from the landscape. We just purchased 12 bags of black cedar mulch, but now I'm not so sure (my husband is ready to kill me!) I hadn't consider the debris that spews from the 3 maple trees and 1 birch tree that are planted close to the house. I'm afraid that it will end up looking just as untidy. You can check out what I mean here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/26214741@N05/2480693981/
I was only planning on mulching up from the house to the retainer walls and in front of the porch in line with the walls.

So...HELP!!...I need some guidance!

[MaineDesigner]

I never used dyed mulch but this comes down to personal aesthetics. I would probably use more plants with the idea that the plants appear of the landscape rather than pop out from the landscape. A background that makes plants pop out will also make any leaf litter, weeds, etc. pop out at the viewer.

[JPlovesflowers]

I have a neighbor who used black mulch last year and it definitely help its color, but it did not look very natural. We opted for chocolate mulch, as the mulch here in Arkansas is not the dark brown I was used to in Virginia. The chocolate held up well, and lost some of its color, but it was the most natural looking that I've seen. You might be able to exchange the black if you decide against it, or lay it on the bottom and put something on top to cover.