Mulching the trees and beds

It has been a year since we finished most of the beds in the East Lawn, and we normally put down mulch around the trees in the Spring.  So it seems like the time to mulch the yard.  In addition, the City is actually offering a rebate to encourage mulching (to cut down on water usage).  The City wants us to use at least 2 cubic yards.

We looked at doing that in bags (27 bags at 2 cubic feet per bag at $3 a bag) but it is more cost effective to get it in bulk ($23.50 a cubic yard).  So we borrowed a pick-up and loaded it up with 2 cubic yards, put a plastic sheet over it and held the sheet in place with 4 bags (one in each corner).

We dumped that all out on the driveway so we could return the pick-up.

Then we started distributing it around.  First the trees in the front yard, starting with Fuzzy.

And then the large Spanish Oak in front of the house.

 The Chinese Pistache in Zone 2.

 And the plantings in Zone 2.

The bed at the base of the Monterrey Oak.

And finally the new pecan tree in the back yard.
 

Amazingly that was the full 2 cubic yards (plus the extra 8 cubic feet from the 4 bags).  We still didn't get to mulch the peninsula between the driveways, nor the North bed nor South bed on the East side of the house, nor the beds in the front of the house, nor the Elms on the West side of the house, nor the Oak tree.  This would take at least as much more.

Addendum, 28 June 2015

Home Depot is having a sale on its mulch -- $2.00 a bag for the Native Austin Hardwood Mulch that Linda likes.  So I bought 51 bags of it -- took 3 trips in my car -- 15 bags, 18 bags, 18 bags ($110.43 including sales tax).  That gives me 102 cubic feet, or more than 3.5 cubit yards.

I was able to cover the South beds, on both the right of the greenhouse (which took 12 bags)

and on the left side of the greenhouse (which took 10 bags)

and the peninsula between our driveway and the neighbors (which took 26 bags)

That leaves us 3 bags for the North Bed.  We had some Mexican Feather grass in one corner of it, but after two years, it has failed to thrive.  I want to put more dirt in this area, to raise the level some (I think it has settled some), and then I will put mulch over it for now.