Late summer can make a garden look a little parched around the edges, and fresh mulch can help without making the garden budget groan. Fortunately, gardeners do not always need to visit a garden center and pay for a stack of neatly bagged material. Tree crews, municipalities, neighbors, compost sites, and even the lawn mower can provide useful mulch if gardeners know what to look for.
Free mulch also comes with an important bonus: it often consists of materials that someone else already considers a waste product. Arborist wood chips, shredded leaves, grass clippings, and finished compost can all put organic matter back into the landscape while helping conserve soil moisture and suppress weeds. The trick involves finding the right material, checking its source, and using it correctly once it reaches the garden.
