Wood Mulch for Your Foothills Garden

Bark mulches are well suited for use around trees, shrubs, and in garden beds where you won’t be doing a lot of digging, like front walkways and foundation plantings. My favorite mulch for the Calgary Region is shredded Red Cedar. The colour and smell are phenomenal when installed and the bark of the Red Cedar is more fibrous than pine or spruce which helps it adhere to the soil interface and stay in place better in our typically heavy winds. Mulch depths in the 4" range seem to work well for weed mitigation and water retention. Loss of 1" of mulch a year to decomposition is typical so top up periodically to maintain effectiveness. Some communities provide rebates for mulch installation as it significantly reduces the need to water trees, shrubs and perennials.