Do you hate spending your hard earned money on mulch for in your flower beds? If so we may have an environmentally friendly money saving idea for you. When you are picking up all of those broken branches and leaves from your yard next time, consider putting them through a shredder. If you have a lot of branches and leaves you may want to invest in a low cost portable shredder at your local hardware store. If you don't have a lot of branches and leaves you may want to pile them up over the summer and then rent a shredder to shred them in the fall.

Depending on the shredder you use you may want to shred them a second time to get a finer product. Some shredders will shred the branches and leaves very fine the first time but most produce a product about twice the size of regular mulch. The color and texture of this product will also depend on the type of wood you put through the shredder.

By shredding your branches and leaves you save money on mulch, enrich your soil, and save space in the local landfill. It's a win win stituation!