Each year I have several yards of playground mulch dropping into my garden and each year it washes away.  My garden is on a slight slope.

I have the garden surrounded by standard black plastic edging, but the above ground height is lacking.

Short of surrounding it with brick or stone, is there a product that it easy to install, reasonably priced and has a really high profile?  I'd like at least twice the height above ground I have now to contain the mulch and divert the rain.

Thanks all.

Andrew

Andy,

I had the same problem. It doesnt take much to correct the problem. Go to home depot and get some of that tall(they make short and tall) black plastic landscape edging. Put it on the uphill side of your bed. It will divert the water and problem solved.

Heres what im talking about...

http://www.amazon.com/Master-Mark-Plastics-95340-Landscape/dp/B000LNRVXK


http://www.amazon.com/Master-Mark-Plastics-99310-Landscape/dp/B001ACNWM0/ref=pd_bxgy_lg_img_y

The acreage we seek is in a hilly place, and I forsee having these problems.  That's a great idea, Slingha! 

Terracing is another. 

I saw once on DIY network where the landscaper dug two holes on the hill.  He planted the tree in the forward hole, used part of the dirt from the back hole to raise the dirt in front of the tree, and when it rained, the back hole would fill with water, aiding in watering the tree, and the dirt in front would divert run-off down the hill.  Hope that makes sense.  Maybe you had to see it........  Everything looks easy on TV!

Suzi

You can buy landscape timbers...cut them to say 12" put a point on them and drive them in so 6" sticks up.  I had a problem with my chickens scratching my mulch on to my brick in the blueberry bed in front of my home.  I cut the timbers to 2 feet and drove them in a foot.  There is a piece of electrical conduit screwed in behind them down low that keeps them straight and in line. 

Willis,

That's a beautiful solution, but strikes me as being more time intensive and far more expensive than the edging.

Between putting the point on them, driving them in, securing them, etc.  I'd be lucky to get 4 done in a day - the garden is 40 x 30 at the outside and that's a lot of work (for someone so mechanically challenged).  Want to come visit (bring your tools <g>).

Andrew

Andy,

They install fast if you are only driving them in 6" You could do the whole thing over a weekend but with the size you are talking it would not be cheap as you would need 55 or so landscape timbers so around $150-$200.  You would probably only need them on the down hill side though....but yes the plastic would be cheaper and much faster.  

Lay down chicken wire, pin the wire with weed barrier pins,  and lay mulch on top,  Use a coarse mulch as the first layer and a finer mulch on top.

Try using black barrier flabric you can buy at Home depot or Lowes, or building contractors store,comes in 100 ft rolls and has the posts already in it ever 10 ft,its about 2 ft high when installed and you bury the bottom 6" in ground so the mulch will not wash away.It is used on most construction jobs to keep dirt form washing into sewers and drains.

How about using these wattles
http://westphoria.sunset.com/2008/12/09/the-fate-of-sfs/

http://www.earth-savers.com/ProductsAndSpecs.html

What about urbanite (broken concrete), it's free, sometimes you can get people to deliver it free to you. You should be able to get wood chips free from tree trimmers as well....

Coarser mulch! A single shredded mulch felts down and stays put quite well. Wattles do make very good contour line terraces too. Like above ^