OUTAGAMIE COUNTY (NBC 26) — NBC 26 Today Meteorologist Lauren Larsen connected with Brad Baker, a landscape expert with Lowney's Landscaping Center. Baker walked Lauren through the pros and cons of choosing rock or mulch—both of which are available at Lowney's.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story, with additional details added for the website.)
We are here in the garden center at Lowney's Landscaping, and this week we are talking about mulch versus stone. A lot of people, myself included, thought it was more about what it looks like, but there's a lot more that goes into it.
Brad Baker, Landscape Consultant with Lowney’s, is here to tell us why some people choose stone versus mulch.
Brad explains, sometimes it's all about the location.
"In the majority of our landscape designs, we're going to put stone up against the house. There are many different looks and different sizes of rock that you can use. One advantage of the stone is its durability. It doesn't get washed out. A lot of our clients like the low maintenance of the stone," Baker said.
Sometimes people think mulch is more work. Is there any truth to this?
"Well, mulch, actually, there's less work initially in the installation. You do not need edging and you don't need fabric. Over time, there may be decomposition of the mulch. Sometimes the weeds will like it just as much as the plants do. Every year you should top dress that mulch and get that fresh color back," Baker added.
I know we've talked about people having different preferences, are there certain plants or trees that prefer stone or mulch?
"That's a great question. You're going to get a lot more plant options with the mulch, because the mulch will stay more moist and plants like that," Baker answered.
There are also some plants that won't do as well with the rock. The stone is a little bit more labor intensive. You got to install the edging and the fabric and the rock itself is a little bit heavier. It does require a little bit more time and a little bit more effort and labor. It just all comes down to each person's individual preferences and what they value most. There could be an initial cost that might be a little bit higher for the rock initially, but over time it seems to balance out.
