Mountains of Mulch

The phone rang at 6:21 am as I was tying my shoes before heading out the door for some exercise. I didn't recognize the number and was surprised when I answered. It was a local tree trimmer with a truckload of mulch for me. I found the company's information on our local permaculture website and had inquired about their free mulch. Apparently most tree trimming companies, as well as some utilities, will deliver free tree mulch, since it helps them avoid the cost of dumping at the landfill. When I had inquired about the mulch, I thought it would take a few days or weeks. I was quite surprised when the early morning call came just a day later.

The truck backed into our drive and emptied the entire bed onto the pad. It is a whole lot of mulch! Steam wafted off the pile in the cooler morning temperatures. The kiddos complained about the sweet, decaying tree smell. Dave wondered aloud where we would put it all. I had a plan. Initially I put a few wheelbarrows full around our newly planted desert trees in the front yard (another free program from the local utility companies). Then I worked on filling our backyard. It has been hard work. Dave hasn't been able to help, but Eamon has. Together we fill the wheelbarrow, dump and rake. There is still a large pile left, but hopefully the yard will be mulched soon and we can install our tree-less treehouse and a few raised beds. I think this yard may be coming together. Next up is ordering fruit trees.