Using bark to suppress weeds on seating area
Bark added to muddy seating area, chicken wire tree guards
On Friday 15th December, I added a trailer load of bark mulch to the upper seating area at the Syra woodland garden. This is because the area was a bit muddy, and if you don’t add a mulch, then the grass will get established and you’ll have to mow it.
The lower seating area has far more stone close to the surface, so I’d recommend adding stones to it as and when as a mulch.
Chicken wire is a good choice for a small number of tree guards
I also added chicken wire tree guards to some of the specimen trees. I haven’t seen much evidence of rabbits but these are relatively expensive trees and I don’t want to take the risk! I didn’t put guards on the Silver Birch, as they are plentiful, nor the Berberis, as they are Berberis.
There was also a pile of wood chip from some tree felling, which I used as a mulch around all the newly planted trees and shrubs. It suppresses weed growth for a few months, just enough to help the tree get established.
Wood chip is gold dust, as a mulch and as compost ingredient