There are many factors to consider when picking the right type of mulch to fill your garden or surrounding landscape like what type of plants, flowers or shrubbery is confined within, if your focus is to prevent and keep out weeds, or if you are intensive on correlating with the color of your house.
Stone or Gravel
Stone or gravel could be a great way to fill the beds of your surrounding landscape, making it look very clean cut. Gravel would be an option to choose for cold climate gardens, as the gravel tends to absorb more heat than any organic material. This could be a haven for some types of plants, but could also be a death trap for others. Cocoa hulls are another great source to lay down in your mulch beds as well.
Filled with many nutrients, these maintain a striking brown color that darkens with age. There is a tendency, however, of them growing a harmless mold but only in humid climates. Also, if you have pets the cocoa hulls are not good for them to be around as they are toxic to them.
Shredded Bark
Shredded bark would be another good choice to surround trees and shrubs with. It has a very stringy texture that makes it less likely to be washed away or down the slopes of your beds, and it also doesn’t break down as quickly. On the other hand, wood chips would also be a very cost effective choice to make. These chips also break down very slowly, and are best suited for putting down around trees and shrubs. The only drawback with these is that they turn gray with age, so the look they give after a while may not be too appealing.
Compost
Finally, choosing compost would be the best choice to make in terms of feeding your plants, trees, shrubs and flowers nutrients. These nutrients are used to fuel these plants and repair the soil around them. The only drawback of compost is that it does not prevent weeds as well as the other mulch types.