7. August 2010 by Carol Whitaker.

Use natural mulches made from trees, leaves and ground up garden waste. I like eucalyptus for its wonderful scent. Another benefit is that some garden pests are repelled by eucalyptus. Still other natural mulches like pine, have similar benefits.

Natural mulches break down over time and help improve the quality of the soil. They also help hold moisture in the soil and keep weeds at bay.

Stay away from so-called recycled mulches as many of these dyed construction debris mulches have been found to have unsafe levels of arsenic and formaldehyde in the them. Researchers at the University of Miami and the University of Florida have documented the levels of these toxins found in recycled mulches bought from the shelves of local garden centers.

So while recycling can be a good thing. This form of recycling can cause a build up of these toxins in your garden which could do harm if inhaled, or could enter the body through handling or walking barefoot through it. Kids and pets are most at risk with products like these.

Calling products with dangerous chemicals and heavy metals in them good because they are recycled is a blatant form of green washing, a technique used by many to give a good spin to a bad idea.

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3. August 2010 by Carol Whitaker.

Use composted animal manure to enhance the quality of your soil. Simply spread the compost over the top layer of mulch around your plants roots and then redress the area with fresh mulch.

This process simply mimics natures way, as leaves, flowers, seeds and other garden debris drop to the soil and decays, the soil is nurtured and nutrients are made available to your plants.

In nature this process may take hundreds of years, but in your own garden, you can begin the process instantly with a small expenditure or time, mulch and composted animal manure.

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