Billings: Bring Your Bags and Load Up on Free Mulch

Spring has sprung in Montana, and Billings' residents are getting busy with lawn and garden projects. I mowed my yard for the first time over the weekend, picked up a maple sapling to plant this week, and did some more prep on my garden plot.

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If it's free, it's me.

Bags of mulch can get expensive if you go to a garden center, especially if you require a lot of it. If you need mulch - FREE MULCH - the City of Billings has the hookup. Beginning May 1 through September 30, the Parks and Recreation Department is offering free mulch at the Community Garden area at Amend Park.

Bring your shovel and containers to fill between the hours of 5 AM and 10 PM. The City requests you only take what you need. The woodchip mulch is made from the removal or pruning of trees in parklands.

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This mulch can be used for a variety of purposes, including building bases for raised garden beds, decorative and design purposes around trees and plant beds, improving soil nutrients, conserving water, and reducing weeds.

Need free garden seeds?

The Billings Public Library has a free seed bank. Last time I checked, it had a wide variety of vegetable seeds, flowers, and herbs, all available at no charge. The seed bank is located on the 2nd floor of the library.

Need free growing advice?

An excellent resource is the MSU Yellowstone County Extension Office. They're very knowledgeable and can point you in the right direction for soil testing, as well as localized advice on gardening, including which pollinators, trees, and shrubs grow well in our area.