I do not lie inert mulch, it's just a pain and doesn't improve soil.. If I was you I would do a nice thick coating of compost, it would look nice and rich for th front yard,keep weeds down, and fertize plants, while improving soil all at the same time! Just make sure you put down a couple inches so it does supress the weeds.. You could mulch with any plant matter, leaves,straw ,grass clippings etc.. If you want something more permanent you could use weed block fabric.. But like i said, I don't like inert mulch, I just spent days pulling that crap out if my new house! If I was you use a nice thick layer of plant matter, preferably compost..

Joe

What I did when I moved in was weedwack all the weeds. Lay a piece of cardboard and then pile several inches of compost and plant in the compost.. I think I pulled out 4 weeds all last year.. I never even think about weeding.. The secret is not disturbing the soil(digging,tilling,hoeing,weeding) which bring dormant weed seeds up to the topsoil which then germinate.. If you just trim them down and cover them with a heavy layer of compost or any other mulch, you might weed two days out of the whole season! And when I mean weed I'm talking about the two second it takes to gently pull the weed rots out of the fertile compost, it makes it real easy!

Joe

ksquires, you need to understand that termites like ANY kind of mulch that you use to cover the soil. They may not feed on it, but will hide in it as they find a suitable location to set up housekeeping. Any material laid on top of the soil can keep moisture in...which is what the termites really like.

Any termite inspector will tell you to avoid putting anything down within a foot or so of the foundation. Even rocks or rubber. In termite infested areas, where inspections are required for home insurance, improper use of mulch can result in a failed termite inspection or nullified contract.

Before shredded tires were found to be something that could be sold as mulch they were considered to be a hazardous waste product and the soil under tire dumps was removed and taken to special landfills because of high levels of heavy metal contamination. Once it was found that people would pay for this waste product those concerns disappeared. Rubber will add nothing worthwhile to your soil.
The moist soil conditions might attract termites, whether the mulch is wood chips or rubber. Perhaps this article from Iowa State University might be of some help.

Here is a link that might be useful: Termites and mulches

Thanks everyone... Joe- I am considering just using compost. Or perhaps compost with cedar mulch on top. Do you have a photo of your beds with just compost down? Is there a certain brand you recommend? Also, what are your thoughts on cedar wood chips? Thanks again!

Ksquires: I do not have any picture of my particular bed.. But i will take on this year and show you.. At the botten of the page, there's a link that is what just compost looks like.. Wood chips are great mulch, I love them.. But I think compost looks a little neater for the front yard..

Either way younger going to have beautiful beds!
Joe

Here is a link that might be useful: Compost Mulch Landscape

This post was edited by Raw_Nature on Thu, Apr 4, 13 at 21:17

As far as a certain brand of compost.. The best compost is the compost you make.. But for looks in your flowerbed anything really dark, rich, and cheap.. I get compost from free from the city, that's what I use in the front yard flower bed.. I save my homemade quality compost for my vegetables and fruit trees.. Any compost nice and dark will look great for landscaping.. Look for something cheap, i wouldn't pay to much for it...

Joe

Perhaps kimmsr is using the common definition of hazardous waste, but tires have never been a RCRA Hazardous Waste as far as I know. I would not be all that surprised if some contaminants could leach into soil from them, but without a full-on tire fire, I doubt soil under a tire pile would be a HW.

They are not clean however, and I wouldn't use rubber in my garden either, but they are not as bad as you make them sound. I may be splitting hairs, since the waste I deal with all day long is so much worse, but there are degrees of toxicity. The vast majority of waste and contaminated soil is classed as Special Waste which goes into your neighborhood sanitary landfill. For better or worse.