That was interesting to learn about the dog issue... I would have thought
they'd have to eat quite a bit to get any of the harmful affects of the
bean, but then I guess some dogs will do crazy stuff.

As for mold, I'd have to argue that many types of mulch are risky for that,
and other problems. I haven't used it for a while now, because there no room
or need for it any more, but it's really tempting when you've got big spaces
between developing plants. If your situation isn't too soggy, and you need
to mulch, it can be used with care, I think.

Though I just had a thought though on a possible non-mulch/stone solution.
It was filed in my head under lawn alternatives, but you *could* get a good
bit of one of the low creeping thyme. (Read the labels on what you get,
since there are a lot of different thymes, and you can get one that *does*
need trimming). Break it gently into plugs and plant them around where you
want it to spread, and use that to replace the grass. Get the right ones and
you don't have to mow that, it's pretty, and smells nice. And once it gets
established, it's pretty good at choking out any grass and weeds that want
to jump in. You can even make designs with different types of thyme. Here's
an article I found on thyme lawns:
http://www.highcountrygardens.com/articles/thyme.html

I've got it planted in a troublesome corner close to the road, and it's
spread out nicely between the rocks. Does well in very difficult places, and
bad soil as I've experienced it. Should be fine anywhere you'd lay down
grass. As for a grapevine, might want to check with someone more experienced
with vine growing, to see if the vine wouldn't mind something growing close
up to it...

Hope that helps,

Ali


"paghat" wrote in message
news
In article , "Ali"
wrote:

How about cocoa shell mulch? I haven't used it myself, but I've seen it
used
on the Victory Garden a couple years go, and it looked interesting.
You're
also not killing any trees.

That stuff gets moldy too easily. Emotionally weird dogs could also eat it
& can be poisoned, but even if it weren't risky to dogs, the fact is, if
you lay it down thick enough to suppress weeds, that's also thick enough
to become a mold spore factory.

I used it once & loved the odor when it was fresh. When it went all too
soon moldy, I churned it into the earth & it made a nice organic
ammendment, but as a surface mulch it was just a waste of money.

-paghat the ratgirl

Here's one website I found that described it, and if you do a google on
"cocoa shell mulch" you'll get plenty of others.

http://www.vitasoil.com/cocoa%20main.htm

Hope that helps,

Ali

"jel" wrote in message
...
I have 6 trees in my small yard, and a 40 year old grape vine. I
would
like
to stop mowing around each. The typical Ohio solution is to mulch
around
trees. I know of no typical grape vine solution. But I don't want
mulch;
I'd like to do something a little different. Has anyone any
suggestions?
I
am considering gravel - not the driveway grade but the pond grade
small,
smooth marble. Any opinions on that? I'll need a retaining solution
to
keep the gravel from rolling away. Any suggestions?



--
"Of what are you afraid, my child?" inquired the kindly teacher.
"Oh, sir! The flowers, they are wild," replied the timid creature.
-from Peter Newell's "Wild Flowers"
See the Garden of Paghat the Ratgirl: http://www.paghat.com/