Homeowner met with warnings after considering problematic yard swap: 'It is a nightmare'

A homeowner seeking advice on replacing the mulch in a garden bed was met with an overwhelming chorus of warnings from fellow landscapers after they proposed an apparently undesirable material.

In the r/landscaping subreddit, the homeowner posed a simple question: "Overwhelmed with leaves. Can I swap my mulch for pea gravel?"

They elaborated on their dilemma, writing: "The previous owners threw down all this black mulch prior to putting the house up for sale. What that means for me is every weekend I'm on my hands and knees hand scooping leaves. To reduce my suffering, is it possible to remove all the mulch and put down pea gravel or some other gravel so that I can use my leaf blower?"

Redditors in the comments immediately shot down the idea. 

"Do not use pea gravel, unless you're going to glue it down and glue it all together," one person wrote. "I tried doing the same thing you're suggesting and it is a nightmare just as bad. You can't rake the leaves up without moving and shuffling rocks everywhere and my leaf blower blows the rocks too."

Another encouraged the homeowner to not stress about loose leaves. "The leaves are free mulch, leave them there to break down and improve the soil. Change your mindset not your mulch," they suggested.

The Department of Agriculture backs up the Redditor's suggestion to let the leaves decompose. "Leaves create a natural mulch that helps to suppress weeds while fertilizing the soil as it breaks down. The leaves also serve as a habitat for wildlife including lizards, birds, turtles, frogs, and insects that overwinter in the fallen leaves," it says. This method would also mean they wouldn't use a leaf blower, which emits air and noise pollution. 

And instead of pea gravel, the original poster could also opt for a bevy of native plants to replace or embrace the mulch they were left with, which would attract pollinators such as birds. It also would save them money, as native lawns have proved to be easier to maintain, requiring less water and other resources. 

The original poster agreed to heed the warning from their fellow Redditors.

What's the worst thing about taking care of your yard? The time it takes ⏰ How noisy it is 🙉 It's too expensive 💸 I don't have a yard 🤷🏾‍♀️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

"The voice of the people has been heard I shall never even consider gravel or any sort of rock for the rest of my days!" they wrote in a comment. They also asked for more advice, adding: "That said, I do like the idea of switching to a natural mulch and adding more bush-like plants in the empty areas. Any plant recommendations? Shade and partial shade, zone 10b."

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