Aesthetics are often a major priority for those who work on their landscape or garden regularly, and some of the products you use for practical and growing purposes within the yard may also double as excellent aesthetic foundations. A great example here is mulch, which plays an important role in many tree, plant and other gardening setups — but can also help define the visual appearance of your entire landscape.
At BioGrass Sod Farms, we’re happy to serve as your one-stop landscaping specialists, stocking everything from sod and soil products to several different much varieties: Black mulch, premium brown mulch and more. We also offer a wide range of how-to guides to assist you with any project. Why is mulch important in the landscape to begin with, why is color sometimes an important factor here, and which mulch color variety is likely best for your needs? Here’s a rundown of everything you need to know.
The Role of Mulch
First and foremost, for any of our readers who are newer to the landscaping scene, let’s briefly touch on what mulch is and why it matters. Mulch is a protective barrier that you lay down around your plants and trees, typically made of wood chips, bark or other natural materials. It helps the soil retain moisture while also blocking out competing weeds that would otherwise steal vital nutrients away from your primary plants. In other words, it’s an essential growing and protective element in any landscape.
Mulch also offers a few aesthetic benefits as well. It can provide a lovely finished look to your beds and gardens, and different colors of mulch can create different visual effects that can complement the plants you’ve chosen or the overall tone you’re hoping to set with your landscape.
Why Mulch Color Matters
To be clear, there are some clients for whom mulch color isn’t particularly important. If you’re more focused on the practical benefits that mulch provides or if you’re just not sure what look you’re going for in your landscape yet, any of our mulch varieties could serve you well.
That said, mulch color can matter quite a bit to those who have a clear vision for their landscape aesthetic. It often serves as a visual foundation for your entire landscape — because there are multiple areas where mulch can be placed, it can have a big impact on the look of your property as a whole.
Additionally, mulch color can affect how viewers perceive the individual plants in your landscape beds. For example, using black or dark brown mulch around white or pale-colored flowers can create a beautiful contrast that really makes those blooms pop.
In our next several sections, we’ll lay out the various common mulch colors found on the market today, plus how you might consider utilizing each one.
Black Mulch
A modern and popular mulch color, black mulch is ideal for those who want to create a clean and sophisticated look in their landscape. It’s also an excellent choice for really making brightly colored flowers “pop” in your beds and gardens.
If you’re hoping to achieve a contemporary or cutting-edge aesthetic with your landscaping, black mulch is often the best way to go. For example, it can be a great finishing touch for a landscape that already incorporates a lot of clean lines, geometric shapes and other modern touches.
On the downside, black mulch can attract more heat than some other varieties, so it’s not always ideal for those who live in very hot climates or who are hoping to protect delicate plants.
Brown Mulch
Maybe the most common mulch color variety out there today is brown, which comes in a few different shades and hues. Brown mulch can range from a very dark, rich brown to a lighter, more golden color.
This classic mulch color variety is ideal for those who want a timeless look for their landscape. It’s also an excellent choice if you’re hoping to achieve a rustic or more natural look since it often evokes images of the forest floor.
Brown mulch is also generally very versatile and easy to work with. It goes well with most plants, flowers and other landscape features — so if you’re not sure what direction you want to go in yet, brown mulch can give you some time to figure that out.
Red Mulch
If you’re hoping to add a touch of vibrancy and energy to your landscape, red mulch is an excellent choice. It’s ideal for those who want their landscaping to make more of a statement, and it can really bring out the best in brightly colored flowers and other features.
Like black mulch, red mulch can also be a great way to create contrast and make certain features “pop.” For example, if you have white or pale-colored flowers in your beds, using red mulch as a border can really make them stand out.
Red mulch is also sometimes used in more whimsical or fun landscapes — for example, those that are designed with kids in mind. If you’re hoping to create a landscape that’s both fun and functional for your family, red mulch can be a great way to achieve that goal.
Additional Varieties
Generally speaking, the three mulch colors we went over above are the most standard options on the market. However, some specialty mulch colors can be created using a mixture of the three primary colors, or by adding dyes to achieve a certain look.
For example, you might be able to find purple mulch at some landscaping supply stores, which is usually created using a combination of red and black mulches. This can be an excellent way to add a touch of luxury and sophistication to your landscape. You might also be able to find green mulch, which is usually achieved using a dye. This can be a great way to add a pop of color to your landscape without being too over-the-top or disruptive.
Our Mulch Materials
At BioGrass Sod Farms, it’s our pleasure to offer some of the top Natural Forest Mulch available. Our mulch is derived from the wood chips found in high-quality trees like Ponderosa Pines and Douglas Fir trees, both of which are forms of conifers. This means they will typically hold their normal color for a much longer period than some artificially-colored mulches – which, by the way, is not the case for our products.
Not only will your coloration stand the test of time with our mulch products, you’ll also find that these materials are ideal from a smell standpoint. While some other mulch products can develop a poor odor with time, the pine tree resins present in the terpenes of our mulch creates a healthy, fresh pine scent that’s pleasurable to the nose and will last for years.
As you can see, there are a lot of different things to consider when choosing the right mulch color for your landscape. For more on this, or to learn about any of our mulch, sod products, topsoil delivery or other solutions, speak to our team at BioGrass Sod Farms today.