In your garden, mulch makes all the difference. With a variety of options available, the right mulch can be difficult to choose, especially when it comes to selecting a color.
In this guide, learn about the most popular types of mulch and why you may want to consider one over another. Plus, get tips on matching your mulch to your outdoor space and the color of your home.
Complement Your Red Brick House With Black Mulch Landscaping
A red brick house is a timeless architectural style that exudes charm, warmth and character. However, finding the right landscaping to complement the rich red brick exterior can be tricky. You want something that will enhance the curb appeal without clashing with the bold brickwork. One elegant yet understated solution is black mulch. Read on to learn why black mulch is an ideal choice for a red brick house and how to incorporate it into your landscape design.
Why Black Mulch Works Well With Red Brick Houses
Black mulch has a sleek, sophisticated look that pairs beautifully with the traditional red brick façade. Here are some of the specific reasons black mulch is a great choice:
Color Contrast – The deep black color creates striking contrast against the vivid red brick, making both elements stand out. This contrast adds visual interest.
Uniformity – Unlike bark mulches with varied textures, black mulch has a uniform jet black color and fine texture. This monochromatic look results in a clean cohesive aesthetic.
Definition – Black mulch helps define and outline the landscape beds, providing structure and emphasizing shapes and contours.
Focal Point – With a bold red brick house, you want the architecture as the focus. Black mulch frames the home without competing for attention
Versatility – Black goes with everything! It coordinates with any plant colors and hardscape materials. You can’t go wrong with basic black.
Sophistication – The color black evokes class and luxury. Paired with traditional architecture, black mulch is elegant.
Types of Black Mulch for Red Brick Houses
If you’ve decided to use deep, dark mulch with your red brick house there are a few black mulch options:
Rubber Mulch – Made from recycled tires, this mulch has an extremely dark black color that pops against red brick. Rubber mulch is also useful for play areas since it cushions falls. However, it can be more expensive and the color fades over time.
Dyed Mulch – Natural mulches like pine bark are dyed black. They come in shades like black, deep black, or jet black. The color will gradually fade over a year. Reapply dye yearly or remove and replace the mulch.
Colored Wood Mulch – Specially processed hardwood creates rich black colored wood mulch. It retains its deep black tone for 1-2 years without fading. Eco-friendly dyes are used.
Cypress Mulch – Cypress trees native to swamps naturally turn very dark gray-black when aged. Shredded cypress mulch has an extremely dark charcoal hue. No dyes are used in production.
Black Lava Rock – For a contemporary, minimalist look use black lava rock. The petite pebble size and irregular shapes provide texture. It won’t fade, requiring less maintenance. But lava rock retains and radiates heat.
Black Gravel – Gravel offers a crisp contrast against the organic brick texture and is ideal for xeriscaping. Use pea gravel or crushed granite in black for modern appeal. The inky color comes from mined dark stone, not dye.
Design Tips for Incorporating Black Mulch
When integrating black mulch into your red brick house landscape, follow these design tips:
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Use black mulch in all visible areas near the home for a unified look.
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Outline beds and tree rings with 2-4 inch deep bands of mulch. Crisp edges make the color pop.
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Widen mulch beds if plantings are sparse to emphasize color while avoiding large bare soil expanses.
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Add bright contrasting garden features like trellises, furnishings and containers to prevent an overly dark look.
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Include light colored plants and flowers to balance the mulch darkness.
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Use mulch to define the entry path and continue it alongside the home.
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Apply black gravel mulch to driveways and walkways to extend the theme into hardscapes.
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Accent the entry area with container gardens rimmed in black mulch.
With the right details, black mulch can feel softly elegant rather than gloomy. Balance the deep color with lighter elements and elevate the overall design.
Plant Selection for Black Mulch and Red Brick
Choosing the right plants is crucial for a seamless black mulch and red brick color scheme. Include a mix of foliage colors and textures to create depth and contrast. Ideal plant options include:
Flowers: Impatiens, petunias, salvias, marigolds, zinnias, cosmos, geraniums, pansies, daisies
Shrubs: Abelia, spirea, hydrangea, lilac, butterfly bush, azalea, viburnum
Ornamental Grasses: Pennisetum, carex, miscanthus
Groundcovers: Lamium, ivy, liriope, creeping Jenny, vinca
Ferns: Autumn fern, tassel fern, Japanese painted fern
Foliage Plants: Caladium, coleus, coral bells, hosta, artemisia, heuchera
Avoid pale pastels and all-white schemes. Opt for bright, saturated hues like crimson, magenta, and citrus yellows. Purple, burgundy and forest green foliage also looks stunning against black.
Maintaining Black Mulch Around a Red Brick House
To keep black mulch looking fresh, follow these maintenance tips:
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Inspect beds monthly and rake back into place if displaced.
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Replenish mulch annually each spring, typically 1-2 inches deep.
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Monitor faded black mulches and re-dye or replace when color loss is excessive.
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Use edging between mulch beds and lawns to prevent grass/weed invasion.
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Weed regularly to prevent unwanted plants from sprouting in the mulch.
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During dry periods, water plant beds to keep mulch slightly moist and prevent floating.
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Test pH yearly as acidic mulch may lower soil pH over time.
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Thoroughly clean up spilled mulch on hardscapes to prevent staining.
With periodic care, black mulch can retain its dramatic color and keep your red brick house looking its best for years. The striking contrast and unified look is well worth the minor upkeep required. For an instant curb appeal boost, classic red brick plus chic black mulch is a winning combination.
Reasons for Using Mulch
Mulch performs several functions in a garden:
- It helps plants become established and grow by improving seedling survival, enhancing root systems and seed germination.
- It improves soil moisture and nutrition.
- It maintains optimal soil temperature.
- It reduces soil erosion, compaction, weeds, pesticide use, salt and pesticide contamination, and watershed pollution.
- It improves the overall look of garden beds and high-traffic areas.
Use mulch on garden beds as a top dressing or on high-traffic areas where the lawn or ground is often soggy. Mulch helps absorb moisture and provide a nice walking path.
Mulch is available in a variety of compositions and sizes:
- Bark mulch is made from woods such as cedar and pine and has a medium consistency. Bark mulch interlocks so it won’t wash away. It’s ideal for gardens on a slope or walkways. It decomposes into the soil, enriching your garden’s health over time.
- Bark nuggets are a good choice for flat gardens where mulch is less likely to wash away. Because of their size and chunky consistency, bark nuggets don’t break down as quickly as bark mulch or pine straw. This product will need to be reapplied less frequently, saving you time and money.
- Pine straw needles hold in place well and are relatively slow to break down, making them ideal for slopes and pathways.
Bark mulch and bark nuggets are available in a variety of colors. Mulch that hasn’t been color treated is more prone to fading than color-treated mulch.
Tip: You can make mulch from dry shredded leaves and grass, but don’t use chemically treated grass clippings, especially around your planted edibles.
In areas of your garden where you don’t need to enrich the soil but still want ground cover, try one of these:
- Landscape rocks, such as pea pebbles, river rocks and marble chips, do not break down. Lay them once and refresh them as needed rather than annually. They look great in arid areas or as an edging in the garden. Landscape rocks are available in a variety of shapes and colors. However, they are difficult to remove if you change your mind.
- Rubber mulch is available in a wide variety of colors and is a good choice for a safe surface. Use it under play structures and play areas. Rubber mulch is made primarily from recycled tires and provides a soft cushion for those inevitable falls. This mulch maintains its color and doesn’t decompose. Keep it contained with a wood, brick or edging border to prevent it from contaminating nearby lawns, gardens or watersheds.
For mulch that will go with your flowers, pick a color that works with your blooms.
White and yellow flowers look beautiful with red mulch. Purple flowers conflict with red mulch but look stunning against black and brown mulch. If youre growing plants with dark foliage, almost any mulch color will provide a nice contrast and help make the plants stand out.
To match a mulch color to your home, consider the style and materials used in its construction.
- Brown mulch can soften the look of red brick, while black mulch will add to the crisp look of sharp, squared edges.
- Use red mulch to give a grounded look to a home with light-tone siding like white, cream or pale blue. Red mulch is especially well-suited to a palette of gold and warm tones.
- Black mulch around green foliage, such as hosta and sweet potato vine, makes the colors stand out. For gray and contemporary homes, use black mulch.
Pros and Cons of Black Mulch together with some alternatives
FAQ
Does black mulch look good with red brick?
Brown mulch can soften the look of red brick, while black mulch will add to the crisp look of sharp, squared edges. Use red mulch to give a grounded look to a home with light-tone siding like white, cream or pale blue.
Can I put mulch against a brick house?
Expert Response. While termites won’t be consuming the mulch as a primary food source, they might use it as shelter for their foraging tunnels due to the retained moisture, so keeping it away from the foundation a few inches should suffice.
What is the downside of black mulch?
Black mulch can also be messy, especially after heavy rain, and might end up scattered around the garden. Another drawback includes the risk of fire.Jun 24, 2024
What color plants look best on red brick house?
Flowers for Your Red Brick Home Try using white with soft blues, lemons and a touch of lilac.
Is black mulch good for a red brick house?
Black mulch provides a strong contrast against a red brick house, but there are also many benefits to using this color. Black mulch keeps the garden soil cool, thus making it ideal for high rainfall areas. However, this bold mulch color tends to attract heat and lose its natural appearance after a year of being exposed to direct sunlight.
What color mulch goes with red brick?
The most complementing and long-lasting colors that work with red brick include black, dark brown, and golden yellow mulch. Furthermore, red mulch derived from natural bark and wood chips can also be a good match with a red brick house. Some homeowners may not be familiar with mulch, let alone which colors to choose from.
What is red mulch good for?
Red mulch is perfect for rock gardens and can be an excellent choice for showing off flowering hedges or exotic plants. The only downside to red mulch is that it creates a lot of heat around the home by absorbing the sunlight rather than reflecting it back.
What flowers go with red brick?
To create visual interest throughout the year, make sure you plant a well-balanced collection of bulbs, evergreens, perennial and annual flowering plants. Go for light red or soft pink flowers to pair with your red brick house. Muted yellows and creamy white foliage also work well. There are also blue and purple flowers that complement red brick.