How to get free mulch for your garden

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For over twenty years here at the Tropical Paradise, I've been getting free mulch. It falls from the sky. Well, from my olive trees. A couple of times a week I blow the leaves up into the garden with a small cordless blower.

I've seen people very carefully sweep up stuff like this, put it in bags, put it in their trash, and then go buy mulch. But if you're doing that, you're wasting a free precious resource, and wasting your money.

If you live in the Phoenix area, there are a lot of choices of trees that drop leaves all of the time. These are what is known as non-deciduous trees. I have two olive trees, but there are a lot of choices out there, including Mesquite. And yes, they drop leaves all of the time, all year 'round. They clog filters on pools, they get all over patios, and they produce wonderful mulch.

I've designed my garden so that I can blow the much up into it. Of course, it's organic, so it rots down and has to be renewed. Luckily, I have trees for that. And not only is it free, and keeps the soil cool, it becomes part of the circle of life, and helps to feed the plants and enrich the soil.

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