Angie's List: mulch and landscaping - 13 WTHR Indianapolis

Now that summer is here, it's time to clean-up and feed the flowers and shrubs around your house. Nothing cleans up the look of your landscaping more than adding mulch.

Landscaper Gregg Pulley says mulching doesn't just your plants look nice, but it helps make them healthier.

"Typically mulch lasts about 9-12 months it breaks down naturally releasing nutrients down into the soil," said Pulley.

Angie Hicks of Angie's List says mulching is also good for your home, adding up to 15 percent value.

"Mulch is an inexpensive landscaping option and there's added benefit because mulch will help retain moisture in your flower beds which should help cut down on your water bills through the summer," said Hicks.

Once you decide that you want to get some mulch, the next step is to choose what type you want in your yard.

Natural Brown is the most common type of mulch on the market. Even if it's dyed that color, it will look more natural as it breaks down. It's made a shredded wood and will usually run a little over 30-dollars a square yard.

Cypress mulch is shipped in from Florida and has a golden color that makes it stand out a little more, but you'll pay for it. A reasonable price for Cypress is about $46 a yard.

Rubber Tire Mulch is good for playgrounds or areas that you want to keep low-maintenance. It's made of recycled tires that have been stripped of all wires and chopped into small bits. It costs more, but it will last a good ten years before it needs to be replaced.

Once you know what you want -- it's time to figure out how much you'll need.

Pulley said, "The length times the width will find the area and then what you want to do is divide by 100. We apply our mulch at 3 inches which is the proper depth and one yard of mulch will cover 100 square feet 3 inches deep."

Remember, to save even more money, you can landscape yourself.