A three to four inch thick layer of wood chips has really enhanced not only the looks, but also the functionality of this old flower bed. Before, it was a pile of dusty when dry, but muddy when wet (we do get enough rain here to cause soil erosion now and then), smelly ole dirt. It was smelly because the neighborhood cats were using it for a litterbox.
We dug a little trench in the slope to act like a French drain to help the water soak in, rather than just running down onto the sidewalk. Before putting the mulch down, we put a 1/2 layer of crushed rock (which you can see a bit of in the middle picture) in the trench to help with infiltration.
Now, thanks to this mulch, as well as some composted kitchen waste, this bed has become a functional and good looking place for roots from the nearby ash tree to grow in. A watered and mulched (not with rocks either) area at least twice the diameter of the tree's dripline really helps trees thrive here in the desert. Water out here is not going to waste if it improves the health of the trees and prolongs their life. But you need to keep the water from just evaporating right off the bare, or rocked, soil surface with mulch first.
Also, be sure to check for (and remove) any weed barrier (which doesn't work anyway) from under your rocks before putting down mulch and starting to water out here. Otherwise, the weed barrier will keep the water from soaking in deep enough to help your tree.
We dug a little trench in the slope to act like a French drain to help the water soak in, rather than just running down onto the sidewalk. Before putting the mulch down, we put a 1/2 layer of crushed rock (which you can see a bit of in the middle picture) in the trench to help with infiltration.
Now, thanks to this mulch, as well as some composted kitchen waste, this bed has become a functional and good looking place for roots from the nearby ash tree to grow in. A watered and mulched (not with rocks either) area at least twice the diameter of the tree's dripline really helps trees thrive here in the desert. Water out here is not going to waste if it improves the health of the trees and prolongs their life. But you need to keep the water from just evaporating right off the bare, or rocked, soil surface with mulch first.
Also, be sure to check for (and remove) any weed barrier (which doesn't work anyway) from under your rocks before putting down mulch and starting to water out here. Otherwise, the weed barrier will keep the water from soaking in deep enough to help your tree.