Ditto!

Can't say it enough. You want people looking at the mulch or your plants? Natural is the way to go, all the time EVERYTIE. Dyes? Really think about that and what you are putting in your beds!

Mulch comes in dyed and undyed. The people selling it often ask you what color you want, tell them undyed. It usually looks more natural and why put dyes in the environment. .

Other than the fact it comes in never to be seen in the natural environment colors, there is little concern about the dyes used in dyed mulch. Virtually all are plant based and harmless. What IS of concern is the wood used with these mulches. Typically, they are made from scrap and recycled wood - shipping pallets, construction debris and other debris from wood working operations or unsellable lumber. And these are often impregnated with glues and chemicals, or in the case of shipping pallets, permeated by other potentially harmful chemicals. The dye is used to disguise the fact that this is not a standard bark-type mulch, as well as charging a premium for it!! And therefore nothing that you want to spread on your garden regardless of any perceived visual appeal.

In recent years, I've been using less and less mulch, by expanding my stock of ground covers. Less expensive and less bother. I can't recommend specific plants for your zone, but that was my first reaction when I saw the big bare spot. Beautiful garden, by the way.

I agree with whatever looks most natural. So many people around us have the rusty colored mulch. Whatever it is, it’s not appealing to me.

I agree with Nancy above. Over the past few years I've been adding groundcovers to all of my planting beds and I highly recommend it. Great for weed suppression! Also, in my area there are wood-based mulches available that have different shades of "wood" depending on the type of wood. I prefer hemlock, which costs a bit more than other wood mulches, but I believe that's strickly regional. Before you decide, you might want to make a trip to a supplier and see what they have on hand.

No to dye!

I use pine straw, but that may regional.

Whatever just not red… I use black in my courtyard as I find it recedes into the background. Most of my yard is more natural and gets pine straw or undyed mulch.