Softscape - Landscape Department



Give your outside a fresh look with a top dressing of mulch, add some new blooming plants to your garden, or install an new English Country or Asian inspired bed! Edgewater is an experienced landscape company who can fill all your landscape needs, from a new lawn to the installation of large caliper trees or elaborate bed designs. Edgewater grows their own plant material as well as supplying stock from many local and nationally recognized growers such as Bailey’s and Monrovia.




Advantages and Disadvantages of each
MULCH A large difference between mulch and rock is that we elect not to lay landscape fabric under mulch. We choose not to because mulch breaks down and adds nutrients to the soil and fabric would inhibit this exchange. Also as the mulch breaks down, it creates soil on top of the landscape fabric, which becomes an ideal spot for weeds to grow, thus making the fabric obsolete. We usually use preen on our newly mulched beds as a weed prevention measure. Preen is a broad leaf inhibitor and prevents the seeds of weeds that get blown in from germinating. It is safe around existing plants because it only prevents germination and does not harm existing plants. The fact that mulch breaks down is an advantage because of the nutrient exchange, but it is also a disadvantage. It means it has to be replaced periodically. Many people love a freshly mulched garden in the spring, but for some this is more maintenance than they want or have time for in their landscape. ROCK Rock is typically lower maintenance than mulch. If lower maintenance appeals to you, your plant selections probably also fall into this category. Plants that are considered low maintenance tend to be hardier and more acclimated to poor soil conditions so the effect of laying fabric which will limit the exchange of nutrients and oxygen is not as dramatic. Fabric should be placed under rock to prevent it from working its way into the soil thus requiring that it is replaced with costly and back braking loads. Hauling rock is not one of the favorite jobs on a landscape site, so once it is done it should stay done. Although landscape fabric does benefit us in some instances it also has another disadvantages besides limiting nutrient exchange. When fabric is laid in a bed, holes are usually cut to place the plants into the soil through. At the time of the installation this works fine; however, as the plants grow, they will grow into the fabric and if it is not moved back periodically, it can actually strangle the plant. An important thing to remember when laying fabric is that your plants will grow.