There are certain organic materials that work great as a garden mulch material. Some work better that others though, but sometimes you just have to use what is available.

As the mulch breaks down over time it will nourish the plants but it’s main goal is to shield the soil and help eliminate evaporation into the atmosphere.

A good store bought mulch may also help to stop weeds from starting. However a homemade organic mulch is probable where the weed seeds will come from. But if they are caught early they should be easy to deal with.

Straw is usually used and it’s a good mulch because it is very porous and it allows moisture through easily. It often comes in a compressed bale and it can be broken up to cover a lot of ground.

It’s cheap and it can be used as an undercoating to a more attractive and costly mulch, not to mention that worms just love the stuff.

There are a few types of straw. Rice straw is one kind and is available in the fall months. Often it is weed free and can be used instantly, but it deteriorates very fast.

Most of the attractive and desirable garden plants of todays gardens originated from plants which grew wild somewhere.

Verbascum is a native of the region around the Mediterranean. The mulleins which grow in North American fields are escapes, and the hybrids of Verbascum phoeniceum, the common purple mullein, are related to their descendants.

They grow tall, usually about 3 feet, or more, and come in shades from cream to pink, rose, lavender and violet. When they are planted in the back of a border or near shrubbery, their columnar shape and gray-green velvety textured leaves give a pleasing contrast even before they bloom. They are attractive planted alternately with delphinium hybrids, and outstanding combinations can often be achieved.

Mulleins bloom from July to September. A few of the late daylilies, hardy asters, bocconia, boltonia and some late annuals planted near the verbascum make a brilliant show of fall colors.

This plant grows easily from seed, but needs a warm place to get started. We like to start them in a seed flat in the house about the first of March.