A sign of the season

We are quickly moving into winter from fall.  The air is getting chillier and the leaves have mostly dropped.  Here in Sacramento - the city of trees - the fall is both a lovely time and a time spent raking, blowing and sweeping up leaves.  All this leaf business got me thinking about mulching and laying down bark around the garden.

I did a quick search and found out through the Sacramento Tree Foundation that our very own utility, the Sacramento Municipal Utility District or SMUD, provides FREE wood chips for customers to use around our trees.  Free pick up of wood chips is available weekdays from 9:00am to 2:30pm at the SMUD yard in East Sacramento on 59th Street between Folsom Blvd. and the Light Rail. 

To pick up you free mulch all you need to do is:

• Bring your own tools to load the mulch
• Bring bags or a tarp to fill or cover a load
• Apply mulch to an area around your trees or shrubs at least 4' in diameter and 4"-6" deep, keeping it a few inches from the trunk

If you do this you will be helping utilize the green waste and helping your garden all at the same time.  And for FREE!  Sounds like a bargain to me. 

Oh yeah, don't forget about SMUD's FREE SHADE TREE program in conjunction with the Sacramento Tree Foundation. Now is a great time to plant one in your yard. Trees are a great way to let nature help keep you cool and lower your energy bills in the summer.