Barn Red

What's the appeal?

We wanted to know why some gardeners are avid red mulch users.  What do they know that we do not?   It turns out that red mulch is a bold choice for any gardener wanting to create contrast in a landscape design. Medium Grind Barn Red Mulch is meant to be bold. When other mulches choose to settle for being in the background, Barn Red wants to be right up in the front,  attracting the attention of every passer by.  Often we use the color of flower blossoms to create contrast and focal points in our gardens.  Color-enriched Barn Red Mulch helps us accomplish a similar goal on a much larger scale.  When Barn Red is used to contrast the color of dense foliage or a structure, a grand focal point is established: a focal point that attracts attention year round.  If you think about it, it's plain that Barn Red Mulch draws your attention first to the mulch and then immediately to whatever the mulch is framing.  Place the item in your landscape that you want to stand out on a blanket of Barn Red Mulch!

45
00

1-5 cubic yards purchased

Mulch

38
00

6 plus yards, volume discount

Mulch

Contrast Creates Depth

Color-enriched Barn Red is a wonderful tool in creating depth of contrast in large spaces.  An example of this is contrasting evergreen foliage against the dramatic backdrop of Barn Red for bold year-round color.

Benefits of Color-Enriched Barn Red Mulch

  • Attractive look of color & texture
  • 2 - 3 year color retention
  • Stablity in wind
  • Reduces water loss
  • Supresses weeds
  • Insulates against hot & cold
  • Promotes a beneficial environment for soil biology: earthworms, atinomecyetes, protoza, bacteria & fungi
  • Adds nutrients

Recommended Uses

  • Looks its best when it is in close proximity to evergreen foliage.  The contrast between the red and the greens is stunning year round.
  • Works well in windy exposed areas because of its particle size locks it in place.

Directions for Use

  • Confirmation - Be sure to cross reference the product on your receipt of purchase to confirm you are reading the directions of use for the correct product.
  • Location of use - Our medium grind mulches work well in any area that is large or exposed to wind.  A benefit of our medium grind mulches is how they lock together, helping them remain in place during seasons of high wind.  (Also see depth in regard to wind.)  In regard to location, consider the colors that are in the area where your mulch will lie. A good color choice will accent any near by buildings or naturally occurring color such as foliage or blossoms.  Consider consulting a color wheel.  Amazingly enough our bachelor boss is even learning to use one.
  • Weed barrier - A barrier is considered optional.  We have seen many successful mulched beds both with and without weed barrier. One consideration in forgoing weed barrier is the interaction of the life in the soil with the mulch layer.  Without a barrier, biology such as earthworms are more easily able to thrive in the area where the soil and the mulch mingle.  Another consideration for going without is that when you allow the longer spears of mulch to drive into the soil and mingle with it, a bond is formed that contributes to the lower level of mulch remaining in place. Whereas the opposite is true when a weed barrier is present.  The barrier may form a fault line where the wind can easily lift the mulch particles away.
  • Depth - We recommend a depth of between 3 - 6 inches of medium grind be used when mulching an open area. The goal of an adequate depth is not only to supress unwanted seed germination, but also to construct a mix and match of particles in order that the mulch particles are able to lock together and form one united mat of mulch.  When we mulch too thin (under 3"), the mulch particles lie mostly horizontal and roll on one another rather than locking together. When we mulch too deep (over 6") with medium grind, the soil is starved for the airflow that it needs in order to maintain a diverse biological ecosystem.
  • Surface cover - Keep in mind that our medium grind mulches are meant as a decorative surface cover rather than a soil amendment. Long term, medium grind will contribute to your soil fertility; however, in the short term a fully composted soil amendment will provide superior results when incorporating into you garden beds soil.
  • Using color - Consider matching (or contrasting) colors in your landscape.  Barn Red Mulch is a bright, but yet deep, red color.  By choosing to use it, you will accent, "bring out," "hightlight" or attract attention to that area in your landscape.  An onlooker will first notice the red of the mulch then, secondly, the object or objects that the Barn Red Mulch is framing.  An example of this is placing Barn Red Mulch around the base of evergreen bushes.  In this example, the red and green contrast boldly yet interact wonderfully year around.  An example of where Barn Red Mulch does not perform well is in a flower bed with little foliage and many blossoms.  In a flower bed the color of the blossoms is overrun by the boldness of the Barn Red Mulch.
  • Using texture- Texture is also a consideration.  You may want the texture of your landscape to be complementary or contrasting.  A medium grind mulch brings with it a rugged, ruddy texture.  Because it is made up of particles the size of your fingers, medium grind mulches can cause the texture of a brick wall to appear smooth in comparrison.  But it can make a log home to appear all that more rustic.  An example of complementary textures would be medium grind mulch beneath evergreen trees.  The rough texture of the evergreens is softened by the rugged texture of the medium grind mulch.  On the other hand, placing medium grind around small flowers causes the small delicate flower to appear swollowed up by the mulch.