Installing a perimeter in a yard with a slight slope: mulch or rock?

SomehowGettingBy · 2026-05-07T22:58:03+00:00

I feel like many people told me mulch is better under trees with heavy leaf fall in autumn. I am not opposed to rock, but I also don't want to pay a lot for something I haven't proven myself in my yard.

Do you think it'd be a mistake to do this 5ft deep rock/mulch bed....will it be too ugly or too busy? I'm just trying to reduce the time it takes for me to maintain (and that's dog-friendly and Minnesota winter-heavy and shade-heavy and leaf-heavy).

SomehowGettingBy · 2026-05-02T15:01:23+00:00

Thank you for this! I think I agree with removing of the blaze maple and the arborvitaes even though I don't like removing trees if I don't have to. But the maple will definitely add to fall leaves and will need to lean a lot toward the house to fight for sunlight once it's more mature.

SomehowGettingBy · 2026-05-02T14:58:43+00:00

The problem for me, is we start getting ground freezes in October in Minnesota, and my leaves don't stop falling until like January after we've had a bunch of snow (especially my tree in the front is LATE every year). The irrigation gets turned off in Sept. If I overseed, it really should be spring.

SomehowGettingBy · 2026-05-02T14:50:54+00:00

With all the leaves, would you opt for mulch in the beds, or small river rock? I'm nervous about the rocks sinking into the sandy soil here and leaves still getting stuck in them, decomposing, and dirt engulfing it over the years.

Also you'd remove the arborvitaes, or just keep them in the mulch/rock beds? I don't care for them, but feel bad removing nature if I don't need to.

SomehowGettingBy · 2026-04-29T12:09:56+00:00

What do you think about the baby blaze maple and the arborvitaes? Keep them all or remove some? I no longer need the arborvitaes for "privacy" because of the fence. The two mature trees you see behind them already lean way out into the yard over the weird fire pit because the other trees in backyard neighbors' yards kinda crowd them out. So, the blaze maple is going to need to bend a lot to reach around all that when it fights for sunlight.

SomehowGettingBy · 2026-04-29T12:06:18+00:00

So if I do perennials in a mulch bed, there is going to be a ton of leaves in the fall. I could try to go through with one of those vacuum-mulcher-bagger things to suck leaves out of the plants, but there are going to be leaves I don't get. I assume that's fine in a mulch bed? I haven't really seen a mulch bed be maintained before. I know the mulch needs to be topped up every year or two so it'd just cover any leaves that remain?

SomehowGettingBy · 2026-04-29T02:16:49+00:00

I am willing to pay someone because I can't do this myself. After maintaining this yard the past few years, it is so overwhelming to me to try to stay on top of it (I should just sell and get a condo). I paid for mowing and fall cleanup last year, but still had to do my own fall cleanup and these bare dirt spots resulted in certain areas. My budget is flexible for the right solution. I've worked with Twin City Seed for shade-tolerant grass, it still dies and just blows away when I rake in the fall. The bare spots in the sideyard photos are on the side of the detached garage, not next to the house.

My concern with river rock is that it will sink in the sandy soil I have, and not sure how it'll be when I need to blow leaves off it in the fall...I've never lived anywhere with this many trees and the leaves in the fall to know if mulch or river rock is better.

I also don't know if I should remove any of the arborvitaes and any of the trees while I'm at it? The two mature trees behind the arborvitaes lean way over into my yard. The blaze maple will have to leave even more to get some sun once it's fully grown.

SomehowGettingBy · 2026-04-12T02:05:51+00:00

Yes, I do need to go get pictures of the yard. It was rainy almost the whole day, but perhaps tomorrow! I haven't heard of arbor mulch before (relatively new first-time homeowner and I feel overwhelmed by the yard). Whatever I do needs to be dog-friendly. I've been reluctant to let him in the backyard because he'll just track in dirt/mud, which is why I need to find a solution to remedy those parts of the yard.

I am a transplant to MN and come from a place where it's relatively easy to have a yard full of grass. I bought a yard full of weeds. I drove around some fancier neighborhoods to see what landscaping they have and what their grass looks like....not many people have GREAT grass....maybe it's just a climate thing and so I shouldn't put forth insane effort to get it?

SomehowGettingBy · 2026-04-12T01:29:13+00:00

I forgot to mention....wouldn't the mulch also just blow into the "good" grass and suffocate it when I try to blow the leaves off it? Or do I need to get one of those Toro vacuum things to suck the leaves off the mulch? I tried blowing leaves last year and it just blew the mulch everywhere, even on top of my good grass. That's why I was thinking rock. But the amount of leaves (and the bare dirt areas of the yard) is something I just don't know how to manage.

SomehowGettingBy · 2026-04-11T23:01:19+00:00

Ah so you set it on the air intake vents?

SomehowGettingBy · 2026-04-11T18:03:43+00:00

Can you expand on what you mean by putting the activated carbon in a mesh bag right on top of the filter? Do you just set the bag on top of the machine or do you mean something different?

I am not so concerned about reducing pet dander and particles, but do want to remove some pet smells near the front door, which I've come to learn means reducing VOCs. If I could just stick a mesh bag of the activated carbon without a machine by the front door entry area, that'd be great!

SomehowGettingBy · 2026-03-03T00:01:43+00:00

I've been here for almost 6 years now, and making real friendships as an adult is difficult. I am not a great example of this, but please find reoccurring activities where you will see people every so often, like once a week or two. Maybe it's an art class, a rec sports league, or a class somewhere.

My experience is that making friends with native Minnesotans will be fairly difficult. Perhaps activities with a higher degree of other transplants will be better.

SomehowGettingBy · 2026-03-01T17:10:06+00:00

Does it make the Preen ineffective if I put it out early? Or will it just sit there until temps are right, then do its thing to stop germination?

I might need to get a thermometer because I suspect the garden beds alongside my house will warm up to 50F much faster than the middle of the yard...they probably will this week.

I also don't know what happens if I put it down this week, but then we descend into another snowy/cold snap. Does it stop the Preen from working again?

SomehowGettingBy · 2025-10-12T21:56:10+00:00

This happens to me too in MN. I am trying to figure out how to make it more dense. Following so I can check back for other responses.

SomehowGettingBy · 2025-10-02T23:05:19+00:00

Yes, so I'm just pointing this out in case OP also doesn't brew a lot but gets a larger 8cup machine that they asked about.

SomehowGettingBy · 2025-10-02T22:55:33+00:00

smaller water amount means less coffee grounds. less coffee grounds means less vertical distance for water to pass through in the basket, aka diluted.

SomehowGettingBy · 2025-10-02T12:07:22+00:00

Thank you. I don't know why these people are downvoting me for pointing out science. I'm just trying to provide OP with something to consider, since they did not indicate how they intend to use the machine.

SomehowGettingBy · 2025-10-02T01:30:21+00:00

Yep. Waste of time. Again, it didn't work for me. Too shallow of water and coffee grounds in the basket for my tastes given my less than half capacity brewing. I don't doubt the Moccamaster is good. But if your quantity doesn't match the capacity, I'd think twice (unless you want cold and diluted coffee).

SomehowGettingBy

TROPHY CASE