Late last week I went to the place where they sell topsoil and bark. Normally I would have placed an order over the phone, but instead, I drove out there so I could make sure I was ordering exactly what I wanted. You know, not that horrible neon orange bark you see in everyone’s yard when you drive through suburbia.
The only problem was, it was raining heavily when I was out there and it was kind of hard to tell which variety I was suppose to order.
I mean, wet bark looks totally different than dry bark, right? Right?
Now maybe you live in a town where you can get bark for free. Or you know someone with a wood chipper, or your local road crew will deliver it to your house for a small fee after clearing brush and downed trees. Sadly, I do not live in such a place.
I have to buy my bark to keep my yard looking like everyone else’s. A lot of the neighbors use a bark blowing service. So I called the guy and basically he said I needed 75 yards of bark and that he was going to charge an arm and a leg. I thought he was crazy. So I politely declined his professional opinion and will now be spreading my own bark thank you very much. I think I only need 30 yards, he says 75, so we’ll see.
The only problem is, I ordered the WRONG FREAKIN’ SHADE OF BARK.
It may not look like it now, but just you wait. I’ll be posting my backyard garden tour pictures this afternoon, and you are going to pee your pants it’s so awful.
And there is nothing I can do about it either.
Now I’m stuck with this neon orange crap because I couldn’t exactly ask the guy with the big truck to shovel it back in his truck once I realized I had made a MAJOR ERROR.
~Mavis
Judy N. says
Yikes!! Hate that colored Mulch too! I always ask for “Natural Mulch , No Color Please”..and that’s exactly what I tell them, and that’s what I get. It IS super hard to tell the mulches apart in a rain for sure!!
I know nowadays A LOT of mulches are dyed different colors. I have even Seen Black, Real Black..Gross! Just don’t put it on the veggie beds, I’m not sure what they use to dye the mulches but I know it can’t be good on edibles, since the color does bleed. I have drove by my neighbors yards and the Orange was running down the pavement driveways..Yikes!! Happening Gardening!!
indio says
How about putting this out to keep the weeds down in the out of the way spots you don’t see too often and buying only a few yards of the color you like to put on top of it?
jim says
GOOD Site, Thank you !
suzanne says
Ah but Lucy looks mav-o-lus against the oarnge.
J says
It’s going to look great. Embrace it. Soon it will fade. I like it.
Sarah says
Don’t worry, as long as you didn’t buy dyed bark (which should be OUTLAWED) it will fade over the summer. You next time you should request “dark” or “aged” bark.
Jen J says
No judging here… I’ve made this mistake and not just once.
Jenni says
I agree. After the summer it will be faded.
Huey says
Looks like the pup is growing. She is so cute!
Lisa says
It may not be the exact color you had in mind, but I think it looks fine. I would appreciate being able to purchase any bark at all. Not in my budget this spring. 🙁
Gregory Bennett says
Try calling a few tree trimmers in your area and offer to trade some fresh produce for a load of bark
vickie says
Maybe you could put a top layer on the other mulch and that way it will all look the same. Hope that makes sense to you.
Robin says
Spreading bark was my day yesterday over the expanded areas of my garden. Now my garden has a two toned look to it due to aged vs fresh bark. Trying to decide if I am OCD enough to now spread new over the older portion of the garden. Your garden is amazing and the “wrong” color of bark won’t deminish the love and care you’ve already invested. Don’t lose sleep over this one. Have a great rest of your Sunday!
Jamie says
What about using the ‘grounds for your garden’ the Starbucks? Maybe a light sprinkle over the top will help darken it up. And you’ll add a little bit of nitrogen to your mulch layer?
Nichole says
just spread a thin load of the color you do want on top, that’s what i did, worked like a charm.
must be nice to have all that room to garden. I have an area 7 x 20 ft. <<<HAHA!
Angie says
I made the mistake of putting Dayglo Orange bark chippings in the Chicken Run! Took them at least a day to get over the shock – they tiptoed over it as if it were hot coals! But the good news is that it has faded after only a couple of months.
Mavis says
Ha! That is funny. 🙂
Wendy Phelps says
I just love the area you live in, if this suburbia I want to live there. My idea of the burbs is where I live, I have the neighbour fence about a metre and a half from my side windows. The bark will fade in the meantime spread it, then order some more in the colour you meant to order and mix it in, it won’t look so bright. Well hoping anyway. Good luck
Elizabeth says
Hmmmm, if you are ordering more mulch anyway, could you spread the orange stuff thinly and put a layer of dark mulch over the top? That might be more than you want to do…. If you leave it alone, it will fade eventually. But until then, every day you will look at it and scream! 🙂
michelle g-b says
Bark nuggets? Yes. Beauty bark? Nope. Can’t stand that stuff– it gives you splinters & it smells awful. Sorry, friend. That’s a whole lotta bark!
Grandma PattyB says
Lots of good comments. I’ve ordered the right color and it faded into the wrong color. It all looks alike in the end. I think it does make your garden look especially good.