Mid-Atlantic Gardening: Whats happening in your neck of the woods? Pronostications , 1 by speediebean

speediebean wrote:
Donnerville, I followed the link you provided and... ya know where it shows the "frequently bought together" list? Well, it shows the Garden Rocker cushion and the Fiskars Garden Bucket caddy as often bought together with your garden stool. I have that caddy!!! =) How funny to see that! I do love my caddy, by the way.

That stool looks quite comfortable, but I tend to be a disorganized messy gardener, tools and stuff all over the place. DH got me this cool garden caddy on wheels thing a few years back, and I just LOVE it. I can sit on it while working, but it also holds a bunch of stuff, and the lid acts as a 'pulling handle' when opened all the way. I use this puppy all the time. Here's a picture or 2 of it, and I got it from here: http://www.amazon.com/Ames-True-Temper-2466010-Buddy/dp/B000... (photos "borrowed" from their website as well). ;)

Ssgardener and Sally, thank you for explaining that for me. So, I guess now I can use the old Holly tree that I got chipped up 3 years ago and whose chips are **still** lying around in the side yard? Heeeheeeheee, yes, all this time I'd been afraid that they weren't "aged" or "cured" enough to use and might cause problems, I had no idea! I think there might still be some chips lying around on that little hillock. ;) Heck, they might be nearly all decomposed by now. =/
I only mulch my newly-installed babies if it's rather late in the season and quite warm or hot out, otherwise I wait until they grow up a bit, but I don't ever lay mulch right up to the crowns. Actually, I take that back. I **do** mulch newly-installed little ones, but I use only compost to "mulch" them when they are still young, and still I don't put it up **to** the crowns, I leave a 2-inch or so diameter around the crowns. Later, when they have grown up a bit, I'll mulch with more compost, and then lay hardwood mulch on top of that throughout the entire bed.

What sort of smell does this mulch that you're referring to have? I know the hardwood that I get at work has a sort of ... not sure how to describe it... bittersweet smell. I rather like it though, and it doesn't last long, just a couple of weeks.