Mulch installation is a perfect example of the high level of expert care that Exterior Worlds brings to each and every job. We pride ourselves on our commitment to the customer and to excellence—from the big projects, like putting in a custom swimming pool with synchronized landscape lighting, to the small tasks, like mulch installation.

In general, mulch is shredded old tree limbs and shrubs that have been composted. In this part of the country, pine and cedar are commonly used as mulch material. The benefits of mulching are multi-faceted. Mulch keeps moisture in the soil, which is essential during our hot months—and helps keep your water bill down! Mulch reduces the growth of unsightly weeds. Expert mulch installation also can prevent erosion, something important during our monsoon-like rains. Some mulches are specifically made to knit together and form a matted surface. This type of mulch is particularly beneficial where there is any elevation, since erosion happens there first.

Mulch that has been treated with a bio-degradable dye is readily available. Exterior Worlds often recommends black mulch because we think it makes the garden plants visually more vibrant. Other types of mulch include rubber, gravel, and glass, which are generally low maintenance and decompose very slowly. In particular, glass mulch looks outstanding in a modern garden design.

The tenets of proper mulch installation, according to the Exterior Worlds’ ways and means of landscaping, entail:
• Use premium mulches. We buy from the best vendors in town, people we have worked with for decades.
• Use bags rather than importing by wheelbarrow. Bagged mulch is easier and less messy to transport from one part of the yard to another. It also eliminates the problem of what to do with any excess mulch. We often find that less-knowledgeable lawn service providers put the excess onto the beds which means plants end up with mulch high on their stalks. Over-mulching can actually kill your plants. We do not over-mulch.
• Mulch twice a year. We take the time to install mulch so that there is no unnecessary build-up, even when it requires spreading it with our hands.
• Break up the mulch or turn it regularly. In our residential yard maintenance contracts, we offer this service on a bi-weekly basis.
• Do not cover the weep-holes in the house’s foundation. This point is critical in Houston due to our dubious distinction of being a termite hot zone. Mulch in weep-holes is an open invitation for termites to enter your house.

Our services are for serious Houston homeowners in places like Tanglewood, West University, the Memorial Villages, Bellaire and River Oaks. Our expertise extends to the maintenance of gardens done in a particular style; for example, Japanese garden design, formal landscape design, English garden design.

Exterior Worlds recognizes that each of you is unique, therefore our services can be customized for your specific needs. If you want a single element added to your landscape design, say, an outdoor kitchen or outdoor fireplace, we can do that for you. Or you may need ongoing garden services. If so, we can customize a maintenance contract just for those regular chores.

We welcome your call at 713-827-2255 to discuss all your landscaping needs. Exterior Worlds—in business since 1987, offering high-end landscape design and services.