Understanding mulch

There are few things as beautiful as watching the seasons change, especially during autumn. Leaves decorate our gardens with their copper-red splendour, swirling to the ground and forming lush tapestries of coloured patches. This is a gift from the trees at a time when our lawns receive their last cut and the gardens slowly go to sleep. The last summer veggies get pulled out and surpluses get chopped up, frozen or pickled. But for some gardeners, this is the busy season as they prepare for the colder months, including applying that all-important layer of mulch.

That’s a broad if accurate definition, but it’s important to remember that not all mulches are equal. Mulch can be placed in two categories: organic (all previously living materials, like leaves, straw, hay, grass clippings and bark)