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Can sand be used in place of mulch?

The native soil here is sandy, and I'm creating a native plant butterfly garden. The plants I am going to be using grow naturally in sandy habitats (oak scrub). I thought it would look cool for the ground to be sandy like it is in nature. Any ideas on how that would work/look in my garden?

Public Comments

1. It would look nice but, you will still have to weed it regularly. Sand doesn't work as a mulch.
2. That's a good idea, we did that here and looks great, we have a lot of plants..☺
3. Sand does not make a very good mulch in the long run. However you are on the right path for making a natural appearing habitat. Try laying some black plastic sheet material and covering that with sand. The plastic will stop the weeds and yet you will have only the natural sand to look at. Plus, of course, the beautiful plants you use. Just cut an X in plastic where you want to plant.