Summer gardening – Framingham Garden Club

Let’s Talk About Mulch – two common mistakes

Shannon Fitzpatrick — Tue, 10 Jun 2025 13:48:44 +0000

Let’s Talk About Mulching
Recently, I invested quite a bit in having aged hemlock mulch applied to my front gardens. My goals were simple: suppress weeds, retain moisture, and give the beds a tidy, refreshed appearance. And at first glance—it looked beautiful. Until I started seeing weeds popping through just a few days later.

Mistake #1: Not enough coverage
It turns out the mulch had been applied too sparsely in quite a few areas. Some areas had a proper 2–3 inch layer, while others were barely covered with an inch. Insufficient coverage defeats the purpose of mulching. When done properly, mulch helps:

Regulate soil temperature
Conserve soil moisture
Suppress weed growth

When done poorly, it’s ineffective, wasteful, and at times even harmful – see Mistake #2.

Mistake #2: Volcano Mulching
Another widespread mistake I noticed? Mulch piled directly against the base of my shrubs, trees and perennials. This is often called volcano mulching.

This might look neat at first, but it can cause real damage. Piling mulch up against trunks or stems traps moisture and creates a warm, damp environment—ideal conditions for:

Fungal diseases
Stem and trunk rot
Burrowing insects and rodents

Trees need their root flare exposed, and all plants need airflow at their base. I once lost a valuable Japanese Maple after its trunk was buried in mulch for several years.

To prevent this from happening again, I spent the better part of a day scraping mulch away from the base of my plants to correct the issue.

A Lesson for Next Time
Next time I have someone else mulch the garden, I’ll be sure to share these basic best practices before they start. Because mulching isn’t just about looking good for a few days.

Bonus Tip: Free Wood Chips!
Did you know you can often get mulch for free? Visit ChipDrop to request a free load of wood chips from local arborists. I’ve done it twice—just be prepared for a very large pile!

In Time for Mother’s Day and Spring Planting: FGC’s Plant Sale and Gift Boutique

Shannon Fitzpatrick — Fri, 22 Apr 2022 16:00:07 +0000

After a two-year hiatus, Framingham Garden Club’s eagerly awaited Annual Plant Sale and Garden Boutique is on May 7 from 9 am to noon at the Cushing Maintenance Building in Framingham’s Cushing Park.

annuals – perennials – native plants- hanging baskets

The plant sale features colorful annuals and hanging baskets, plus ready to transplant perennials, herbs and native plants donated from garden club members’ gardens.

Proceeds benefit local scholarships and civic activities.

Now accepting credit cards!

For access to the Cushing Maintenance Building, use the Keefe Tech entrance on Winter St., Framingham, and follow signs to the sale.

PLUS

Stop by the Secret Garden, a garden-themed boutique, for handcrafted gifts and cards perfect for Mother’s Day, graduation, birthdays, hostess gifts, and other special or every day occasions!

(Details )

Location: Cushing Park,Maintenance Building. Framingham.

Use Keefe Tech Winter Street entrance and follow signs.(Map)

Some Summer Blooms From Framingham

Estelle Gooltz — Sat, 08 Jul 2017 01:20:53 +0000

Here are some beautiful scenes from the garden of Ruth Evans, one of Framingham Garden Club’s most prolific green thumbs.