Question
Hi,
I live in the Puget Sound region of Washington State and my backward is newly landscaped. I prefer to have the landscaped areas completely filled in with vegetation but while all the plants are still young and filling in I am constantly competing with grasses and weeds cropping up. I am afraid to mulch because I don't want to stop the spread of ground covers that eventually I want to act as the mulch. Can I still mulch in the meantime to prevent unwanted grasses and weeds while the plants fill in? And what type of mulch is best in this case? Thanks.

Answer
Hi Roy,
Thanx for your question.  Yes, you should go ahead and mulch to your heart's content.  As the ground cover fills in, you can uncover the mulch and clear more area for the ground cover to fill in.  For mulch, I would use hay, oak or other tree leaves (except for hicory or walnut), grass clippings.  I hope this helps.
Tom