How Much Mulch?

Ever wonder how many bags of mulch, soil, compost or gravel to buy? Would it make more sense to have a yard of material delivered? Or will you need that much? End the guesswork.  Measure your space and use this table to calculate how much to buy. QUANTITY SQUARE FEET COVERED TO Yards Bags 1" depth 2" depth* 3" depth 4" depth  1/2 5 162 81 54 40 1 10 324 162 108 81 2 20 648 324 216 162 3 30 972 486 324 243 4 40 1296 648 432 324 5 50 1620 810 540 405 6 60 1944 972 648 486 7 70 2268 1134 756 567 8 80 2592 1296 864 648 9 90 2916 1458 972 729 10 100 3240 1620 1080 810 11 110 3564 1782 1188 891 12 120 3888 1944 1295 972 13 130 4212 2106 1404 1053 14 140 4536 2268 1512 1134 15 150 4860 2430 1620 1215 16 160 5184 2592 1728 1296 17 170 5508 2754 1836 1377 18 180 5832 2916 1944 1458 19 190 6156 3078 2052 1539 20 200 6480 3240 2160 1620 Bag Volume: 2.7 cubic feet --- 10 bags = 1 cubic yard *Recommended depth for most effective mulching

How Do You Say Yucca?

When I was studying landscape design, most of my fellow students regarded Yucca plants (Yucca filamentosa) with contempt. YUCK-a, they would say.

And with good reason. The foliage can look pretty ratty and grooming is difficult because the leaves are sharp and tough. If you decide that you want to remove the plant altogether, you have your work cut out for you. If you don't get all of the fibrous root out of the ground, it will sprout "babies," and you'll have to go at it again. I suspect that one reason we see so many unkempt clumps of Yucca plants is that people get tired of trying to dig them out, so they give up and let them continue to multiply. Thus adding to the YUCK factor.

But on the plus side, just look at these flowers! Borne on stalks that can reach 10 feet high, they are a striking addition to the landscape. In addition, yuccas are tough plants that can handle drought and salt spray.

Y. filamentosa, or Adam's Needle, is the cultivar seen in Seattle gardens. There are many other varieties, including Y. brevifolia or Joshua Tree, all of which require warmer climates than we have here.