What's New at
Livingston Farm

In honor of the men and women who have given their lives for this country’s freedom and liberty, we will be closed this Monday, May 26th in observance of Memorial Day.

Our nation’s soldiers remarkable sacrifices are beyond measure. Their relentless commitment to the defense of this great country and the ideals on which she was founded is the ultimate level of patriotism and it is our duty as citizens of this nation to  uphold these values that they gave their lives for. We have a voice to speak our opinions because of them, we can choose to do what makes us happy because of their sacrifice, and we can create change for a better life because they gave theirs. Many times we forget the true meaning of this holiday. It is not just a three day weekend packed full of barbecues and summer sales.  Memorial Day is a day to remember the costs of our freedom, to celebrate and to honor those who have protected it for our sake.

Please take a moment from your barbecues,  super-saving sales, and launching of summer excitement to remember those men and women who have given their lives so that you could live yours freely.

“Who kept the faith and fought the fight; the glory theirs, the duty ours”

Wallace Bruce

When it comes to mulching your yard the possibilities are vast. There are natural mulches, synthetics, and everything in between. Which is best for your yard? How much do I need? When should I mulch? These questions and more are sure to arise when deciding which to use. In this addition of our blog we will try and decipher which will be the best for you to use for your landscape and particular needs.

Let’s start with the different types of mulches Livingston Farm has to offer. We carry organic mulches which have many benefits that Inorganic mulches do not.  Organic mulches slowly decompose, enriching the ground underneath with nutrients and helping to loosen the soil. This improves root development and increases water infiltration while also attracting beneficial organisms such as earthworms. Livingston farm has a wide variety of landscaping materials that can be used as mulch depending on the look & feel you desire and what your necessity is. Some of the materials we carry are:

•  Premium Hemlock Bark Mulch
•   Forest Blend Bark Mulch
•   1 ½” Clean Stone Mulch: Blue, White, & River Stone
•  ¾” Clean Stone Mulch: White, Red, Blue, Green, Sunset Blend, & River Stone
•   Mexican Beach Pebbles
•  Kewanee Stone
•   Compost

Bark Mulches: 

Our Hemlock Mulch as a border for trees, supplying nutrients, retaining moisture, & keeping temperatures consistent.

Our Vermont Made Mulch is made right here at Livingston Farm. We double grind our bark mulches ourselves to have optimal quality control. Our bark mulches have many benefits.  Bark mulches are also the easiest and least expensive to install. They are great for adding organic matter back into your soil as it decomposes especially when mixed with some of our Composted Cow Manure. Bark Mulch also provides moisture retention for your soil, prevents weeds from popping up, and moderates soil temperature; cooling your soil in the summer and insulating your roots in the winter. Not to mention it looks great!

We carry two varieties:

Premium Hemlock, a natural mulch that is slower to decompose, and features a rust brown tone that is fade resistant, adding rich & vibrant color to your landscape. Hemlock is known to contain a high level of nitrogen, an essential plant nutrient, so it’s particularly good for feeding your soil as it decomposes. It is also less likely to sliver making it easy to handle and great for areas around kids

Forrest Blend, an organic mixture of pine and hardwoods that gives it a deep brown color that looks natural in any yard. It is fibrous and knits together well which inhibits soil erosion and weed germination while retaining moisture. It is a popular variety that is less expensive than other mulches yet still provides similar benefits. Pine mulch breaks down reasonably fast improving the organic content of the soil which is great for plant beds.

Stone Mulches:

Livingston Farm has a large variety of stone that can be used for mulch. Rock Mulch is any type of decorative gravel used as groundcover.  Gravel pieces can range in sizes from pea-size to fist-size and come in a variety of colors. Stone mulch is resilient and resistant to all weather conditions. Heavy rainstorms will not affect stone. They will stay embedded in place, and they will not cause your soil to become impacted, which will greatly benefit your plants. Stones are also safe for pets, other animals and other plants near the ones you lay them around. Rock mulch conserves water by shading the soil and slowing evaporation. Gravel-sized mulch is most effective during a hard rain because it allows water to be pulled down into the soil and reduces runoff. Unlike bark mulching materials that absorb a lot of rain water, gravel mulch lets all the water flow through to the soil below. The longevity of stone mulches is their greatest appeal.

We carry several varieties of stone mulch:

1 ½” Clean Stone Mulch & ¾” Clean Stone Mulch, these varieties of stone come in a range of colors. They are “clean” stones meaning they are screened to remove the smaller fragments allowing for better drainage. Great for Rock Gardens

Our Kewanee and Mexican Beach Pebble Stones are large rounded stones that can be placed in your garden randomly or in interesting patterns. They are easy to move as your planting needs change.

Mulching season is upon us now that the frost has ended. Stop by today and one of our friendly associates will be happy to help you decide what mulch will be best for you this season.

Though it may not feel like it quite yet, spring is finally here and we have launched a new website just in time to help you with your outdoor projects. We took great care with every detail of this site to make the experience perfect for you, so feel free to explore what we have to offer! If there’s something you can’t find here, reach out to us through email [email protected] or give us a ring at 802.382.0992.

We are gearing up for a big year here at Livingston Farm, so be sure to stay in touch with us through this blog or by connecting with us through Facebook or Google+!