Choosing A Mulch Color For Your Plant Bed

Top dressing a plant bed is an important decision when designing a landscape bed for your home. You want to compliment the colors of the plants, provide a welcoming atmosphere, and work with the color of your home.The top dressing should also be functional and low maintenance. Here at KG Landscape, we highly recommend a nice hardwood mulch and we carry it in a variety of colors.

What are the advantages of mulch as a top dressing?

There are many advantages to using a quality hardwood mulch. The biggest advantage is that mulch can protect the plants and ground. The hardwood holds in moisture and prevents drought during the hot summer months. It does the same for the plant roots by preventing the sun from beating down on them and by retaining water from rainfalls. Another advantage is that it has the ability to compliment your house color more closely. Because of the variety of colors and types, it is a lot easier to find something that fits your color palette.

What colors of mulch are available and when should I use them?

Milk Chocolate – The most popular mulch color that we have at KG Landscape. It’s super adaptable to any landscape, very affordable, and still high quality. It’s good for houses that are in the middle of color spectrum, not too white and not too dark. The natural brown color matches up with just about any plants, it especially plays well with very green plants like evergreens and leafy plants like astilbe and daylillys.

Dark Chocolate – The second most popular color we use at KG Landscape is dark chocolate mulch. This is a much darker brown, almost black, mulch that is similar to the milk chocolate but just dyed a different color. This mulch is nice for plants the have big flowers that are blooming often. The pops of color are extremely vibrant with the dark background. Many clients also like the dark color with their light or dark home color.

Red – This bright red dyed hardwood mulch is definitely not as popular as the choices above. There are certain people who just love this bright color around their home or backyard. We offer this color of mulch but it is not used very often.

Blonde – Basically the same as the red color above. We offer this color of mulch but it is not requested as often.

Western Red Cedar – A very popular selection by many of our clients. This mulch is a little more expensive than the hardwood mulches above. It’s made from cedar wood and shipped from the West Coast to Minnesota which increases the cost. However, the benefit is a beautiful, subtle red mulch that is seriously perfect for any application. The higher cost scares some customers away but it really is worth every penny.

If you’re looking for mulch in the Minneapolis or St. Paul area, we are here for you.

Give us a call at 763-568-7251 or contact us here. Either way, we’ll work with you to choose the right top dressing for your plant bed and house.

Ready to Start on Your Next Project?

Call us at (763) 568-7251 or visit our quote page.

By Daniel . March 11, 2026
Some people like to use the phrase "nature is healing." However, in some cases, nature can't heal itself alone. That's where we come in. Recently, a homeowner in Maple Grove, Minnesota reached out to KG Landscape after struggling to revitalize a back yard that was simply failing to thrive. Despite what seemed like ample sunlight and water, the turf suffered from numerous thin and bare patches that refused to improve. To determine exactly why they couldn't get this yard to flourish on its own, our client asked us to assess the yard and determine a plan that could reinstate the lush green lawn they expected for their Maple Grove home.
By Kent Gliadon March 9, 2026
Seldom will you find a piece of landscaping less desirable than the unintentional water feature. That's why a recent client in St. Paul, Minnesota's Macalester-Groveland neighborhood reached out to KG Landscape. Poor drainage in their yard had begun to allow standing water to accumulate, which not only damaged the lawn but was also beginning to make its way into the home's foundation. Our assignment was to determine why this water was pooling where it was, then find a way to divert it to a safer outlet. In order to do so and to improve the health of this St. Paul lawn, our team developed a system of catch basins and underground drain pipes to capture and redirect rainwater. Additionally, we restored the damage standing water had done to the lawn with a full topdressing treatment combined with seed blankets in the most critical areas of the lawn. Upon completing the project, we successfully resolved the yard's drainage issues while also bolstering the health of the lawn.
By Kent Gliadon March 9, 2026
Faced with tight constraints in a small Edina backyard, our team devised a solution that created a comfortable patio along with increased privacy for our client.
By Daniel . March 6, 2026
By employing double-pass aeration and overseeding, we were able to replenish a South Minneapolis lawn that had suffered years of neglect and was failing to thrive.
By Daniel . February 27, 2026
Learn why proper grading is essential before installing hardscapes and plantings. See how KG Landscape solved drainage challenges in St. Louis Park.
By Daniel . February 27, 2026
See how KG Landscape transformed a small St. Louis Park backyard into a functional outdoor living space with creative hardscape and planting solutions.
February 27, 2026
See how the team at KG Landscape created a beautiful new yard with a functional patio, updated landscaping, and improved curb appeal for a St. Louis Park, MN home.
Picture of a side yard KG Landscape regraded to solve a problem in Minneapolis
By Kent January 26, 2026
Struggling with side yard water problems in Minneapolis–St. Paul? See when French drains or re-grading works best for small yard drainage fixes.
Is the area under your deck always wet in Plymouth, MN? Fix drainage issues before building a new pa
By Kent Gliadon January 22, 2026
Protect your Plymouth patio and deck from frost heave damage and shifting by installing French drains that keep clay soil dry around hardscape and footings.
Sloped backyard  featuring newly added fire pit area with plantings around it
By Kent Gliadon January 15, 2026
One Edina family had a 25-foot slope and nowhere for their kids to play. See how we turned it into a lawn, sport court, and fire pit.