I think your edging is an issue. I would either completely sink the black edging and remove the corner pieces...or..use a different edging all around, such as landscape block....then I would do more filling in with plants.

Thanks Jayme for your suggestion. These rocks were used to frame the old flower bed and I just moved them to the corners for now. I plan on adding more stones in the fall.

Christini, I like the red mulch with the color of your house. More people seem to be using the darker mulch, but as long as you are happy with it that's all that matters. I think once you have the edging done that will make a difference.

Thanks Judy! I was actually debating between black and red when I picked up the mulch at the store. I almost went for black but.......I really like the red.

Thanks Kitt! I am happy with it :)

really not a fan of red mulch because it detracts from the plants. but if you like it, use it. be sure it's deep enough. i agree with jayme on sinking the black edging and adding more plants. alot more. the bed appears to be full sun?
hostas need shade so they should be moved. can't tell what the other plants are.

the great thing is that you live with it this summer, and it will wear, fade and blow away and next spring you try brown again, it's not a big deal to me, looks fine

Vienna is absolutely right - mulch is short lived - it fades, mixes in with the dirt and blows away rather quickly. You'll certainly need to do it again next spring and then you can decide if you want a change or not.

I actually saw an example of red mulch used attractively -- under a planting of riotous purple shrubs. Otherwise it is, simply,, gross. Cheap. I would go so far as to say it devalues your neighbor's property. Sorry.

I might have taken the border all the way to the sidewalk and driveway. Cutting those little strips of grass will probably bother you in time. Maybe take the inverted part of the bed and round it outward for the same reason. A nice curve outward would be good. Lay a garden hose down to get the shape you like and then wheel your lawn mower around it to see if it's easy to mow. Use whatever mulch you like. I like the more natural brown colour but it really is your personal preference. Your house looks lovely. I would put a big substantial post on the outside corner of the little roof over the front door.

Call your local garden club and ask if they have a preference. It may be a regional thing. No one uses red where I live…almost like a C Z vs. a diamond.

@DIAspoton, It gets full sun from 4-6 hours a day but may be longer in summer time. These hostas were not on my original plan, they were given to me by my neighbour so i just used it to fill in the space. I have Sedum, Veronica, black- eyed Susan and Blue thistle as well as Day lilies and ornamental grass. The big plant at the corner is peony which was planted by the previous owner. I have canna lily bulbs waiting for planting yet. That should at least fill in the big space by the little tree.

@judyg, I think red mulch is becoming more common in our region now. I see some landscaping in our neighbourhood with red mulch. Thanks, I will ask for their opinion as well. :)

I think that either red or black is a good choice. The brown probably not so much. The red draws the eye to bed. As it fills out the mulch will not be seen as much. You beautiful flowers will. On the sidewalk side and in the corner between the driveway and the sidewalk, I would bring the steel edging all the way to the cement. As previously suggested, it will be a maintenance sore spot. I think I understand the side along the driveway...a lot of these homes have such narrow drive ways it is nice to have a little extra space for getting in and out of cars. In these two examples you can see that I left some space between the beds and the driveway. Eventually I will remove the grass and add crushed granite. On the side where my door is there is flagstone and brick.

This is the other side where the grass is currently and will be removed and crushed granite will be added.

from what i"m hearing everyone say is that "dirt on dirt" is better. if so, why pile the same color as dirt then? red mulch compliments any plant-that is why it's a different color from brown-dirt. you. are supposed to rake mulches every so often to retain its color and freshness. i can't believe everyone's comment. red is beautiful and it enhances any planters and beddings. think about it: if you want to highlight any item in your house would you use the same background color as the featured item? of course not! duh! btw, red mulch is more expensive where i come from. i supposed distributors know that it will do its job by highlighting the plants-not blending in.

Thanks Tambela. That is actually my plan, to replace the grass with river rocks. Your garden is so beautiful :)

sorry ... red mulch is a pet peev of mine. all the gas stations around me use red mulch for some reason, and when ever I see it I think "gas station" ...

Or dyed red hair….

Your brown mulch looks way better and more natural. Brenda's right red is for gas stations. Brown looks best or you can use pine straw.

Putting aside the aesthetic issues for the moment, it is probably wise not to buy dyed mulch next year (whether red or black or another color). There are environmental concerns about dyed mulches that don't apply to natural ones. If you google "problems with dyed mulches" or an equivalent phrase, you'll find a number of landscaping web sites explaining the potential problems: From one of these:

"Dyed mulches (black, red, green and other colors) are usually made up of recycled wood waste. This trash wood can come from old hardwood pallets, old decking, demolished buildings or worse yet pressure treated CCA lumber. CCA stands for Chromium, Copper and Arsenic; chemicals used to preserve wood. This ground up trash wood is then sprayed with a tinted stain to cover up inconsistencies in the wood and give it a uniform color.

This dyed wood mulch does not break down to enrich the soil as good mulch should. Instead it leaches the dye along with the possible contaminants (chromium, copper, arsenic and others) into the soil harming or even killing beneficial soil bacteria, insects, earthworms and sometimes the plants themselves. These wood mulches actually rob the soil of nitrogen by out-competing the plants for the nitrogen they need for their own growth. Dr. Harry Hoitink, Professor Emeritus at Ohio State University, warms that dyed mulches are especially deadly when used around young plants and in newer landscapes."

http://www.naturescapes-pa.com/2012/why-not-to-use-dyed-mulch/

I agree that dark is my preference- as dark and fine as can be. However, I have clients who feel the bright orange is more "fresh". As my Uncle John used to say, "You can't see it from my house".

All of your edging sticks too far out of the ground. The skinny strip of grass next to the road should have been bigger to look balanced. However, that hard work is done. Your question is about the color of your bark. It looks fine for this year. If you want to add some grasses, they add interest to any garden/flower area. I used the same bark, and I don't like how big the pieces look in and around my shrubbery. I might pick it up and move it to the back of the house!!

Sorry, red Mulch is ALWAYS a mistake

IMHO the red mulch draws too much attention visually - competes with the red brick and the beautiful plants, instead of showcasing them. I wholeheartedly agree with other comments about losing the edging, rounding the v-shaped side of the bed and extending the two straight sides to get rid of the strips of grass.

Once the plants get bigger they will help 'fill' up the empty spaces currently occupied with the red mulch.

I love my red mulch! When we moved in there was black mulch EVERYWHERE! We couldn't wait to get it all out of there and add the red. HUGE improvement!

Must be a regional preference thing..I do not think red mulch is the bane of humanity either.

I'm pretty shocked at the narrow mindedness of some of the numbskulls who are saying red mulch is always a mistake and looks gaudy. Mulch color is a regional thing. While brown or even black mulch tends to be a thing in New England and the MidWest ... Red Mulch is more common down south in North and South Carolina and Florida. The whole purpose of mulch is to mimic nature. Brown mulch mimics the dirt gardens that are very common up north. Red much mimics fallen pine needles that are common in NC/SC. Mulching was started as a way to inhibit weeds and keep dirt moist and the color was a camoflague to miic dirt or pine needles which used to be used. Anyone who thinks red mulch is gaudy and gross is not thinking beyond their own little bubble. If your neighborhood was all brick colonial houses growing up ... You might not love Victorian houses or the Gothic homes of New Orleans but to be shortsided enough as to call those regional houses ugly because that is your taste is pretty ignorant. I learned about this from a landscaper at Walt Disney World who told me they use all colors of mulch so guests from different regions would feel comfortable and at home. Get over yourselves and open your mind to the snooty commented with nothing good to say. I think your landscaping looks fine either way.

I think now looks much better!

Those dyed wood chips are not mulch. Red is awful!!! Black is almost as bad. Real mulch or bark looks better, and is better for the garden.

Old post. The mulch has been replaced many times since 2013

With what? More detestable red mulch?

There's a developer near me who used brown mulch this year at their manufactured housing community all around their property. It isn't nearly as colorful or busting out like the red they used last summer. Without a doubt, the red has pizazz and adds to your landscape. I know that there was a lot of debate over this but it goes without saying that red is brighter than brown. No one ever considering to use a brown traffic light to stop traffic. That's how we get cars to notice the road. Now you have folks noticing your yard. Congratulations....

Wow, people suck. Practical advice appreciated. Insults unnecessary.

I have long debated the mulch color and thought I made a mistake as well with my red mulch around my brick home (just thought maybe too much red). My neighbor used brown mulch one year and I initially fell in love with the color. However, in time it really just ended up looking like dirt. I also love the look of fresh black mulch, but it quickly shows anything that falls into the garden bed (like all of us who love the look of dark stained wood floors, until you spend so much time cleaning up every speck of lint that shows). In the end, I'm very happy with my red mulch and receive lots of compliments on my gardens.

For advice- I'd agree with those who suggested to bring the bed all the way to the edge, that small strip of grass may feel like a hassle to care for at the end of the day. As far as filling it in with more plants, I hope you waited a bit. Plants tend to grow over time! (Sarcasm completely intentional for some of you). Likely, even to the point where you will want or need to split them, which will in the end give you more for your investment.

Lastly, hostas are shade tolerant and shade lovers, but some varieties do just fine in the sun, especially depending upon your climate. Leave them in; if they don't fair well then move them.

In the end, it's YOUR garden. If you are happy with it, that is all that matters. If you're unsure, keep looking at examples until you figure out what you like, and try something new if need be. Mulch is not a permanent fixture, you can change it up routinely.

Almost all mulch is dyed, so don't assume just b/c mulch is a lovely nut-brown that it wasn't dyed. A recent delivery at the arboretum was just that brown and the driver, who claimed to be a partner in the company, assured me it was not dyed.

Later in the day another driver delivered the rest of the order-- and it was red not brown. Needless to say the city won't use THEM again.

We use wood chip (arborist mulch) on trees and shrubs here, and it is never dyed. There are big variation from one load to the next, but the loads are so big that this is not a problem. It's lighter in color and stays that way-- it doesn't fade or change. Looks fine here in the South but in the north it would take some getting used to!

I'm in Michigan, more specifically mid-Michigan. In this area red mulch seems like the preferred color. It's what I used to make the shaded landscaped areas with hostas and other shade loving plants "pop". Nobody bitches about it. Every area of the country has it's own quirks, I guess. But here, we seem to like the red mulch. I know one thing, it really makes my plants stand out. People also say not to use it close to their house, but I do. You can always go around and spray the foundation and ground with a termite spray if you are concerned. But pests can hide in any kind of landscape material. Even rubber mulch. Anyway, your garden area would be perfectly at home where I live, and honestly, who cares if your neighbors like it? It's not for them....

Brown mulch is better. Looks natural,, like the earth . I find red absolutely ugly..

It looks fine to me and I wouldn’t mind living next door to red mulch. But you’re the one who needs to like it. Nobody else matters, cause they won’t be living with it. The lady next door did an unusual thing once. She removed all her grass and put in gravel instead. I’ve never seen that done. It was just different. After a while, I thought that I wish I had the money to do that. No weeds, no lawn mowing, How Nice!