Today’s fun was a massive purchase of topsoil, compost, and mulch from The Rockpile, which is one of my favorite local garden and landscape supply stores. The shopping list: 10 cubic yards of their Premium topsoil blend (a mix of locally sourced topsoil, sand, and leaf compost), 10 cubic yards of compost, and another 15 cubic yards of mulch. The good black mulch for the front yard, to look nice, and the “organic brown” for the backyard, where I’m more focused on sheer “keep the weeds down” functionality than on “let’s wow the neighbors”.
About half the topsoil and compost is going to enhance and raise my main vegetable garden, as that area ends up with a lot of standing water after heavy rainstorms, and needs more building up than than I can generate from my compost pile! The rest will go towards adding fruit trees and building new planting beds in the front and back yards. I’m looking also at filling in a little along the north side of the house, where the land slopes down from the house towards our swale/drainage ditch. I want to turn that area into a small path with plantings to the sides.
While I was there I also ordered two tons of decorative blue granite “river pebbles” to fill in the edging between my back patio and the house. I suspect there will be plenty extra, but I have no doubt I can “find a spot”. 🙂
I’m planning on five separate deliveries, so that I don’t kill myself trying to deal with all of it at once. For reference: 1 cubic yard of topsoil = about 13 wheelbarrow-fulls. I’m calling this my springtime exercise program.
The Rockpile – Garden Center and Landscape Supplies in Avon, Ohio
(Note: I do not receive promotional consideration for this post. I just like The Rockpile and I believe in supporting local businesses. I did receive permission from them to use their photo).