[QUOTE=perrjojo;1143993]
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fraugoofy
We were told by our vet that the pine straw used in The Villages is from Georgia and can contain ticks, which cause heartworm. We used stone (black slate) and love the unique look.[/QUOTE
Some say pine straw is a fire hazard but most people in the south use pine straw and I have never heard of it causing a fire. We lived in Georgia for the past 10 years, used pine straw and NEVER had a problem with ticks. Yes, we have a dog. Pine straw adds much needed acid to our soil. The only draw back with pine straw here is that the sun fades its color very rapidly and needs to be replaced twice a year. I am an organic gardener and would never suffocate my plants with stone. With stone you can not add compost which our soil needs. Shredded pine bark works nicely but the larger chips tend to float away and not stay in place. Also, just like pine straw, the color fades rapidly in our Florida sun.
I guess it is all a mater of personal preference but I choose pine straw. To me the stones look like Arizona
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Although the original fires didn't start in pine straw, the Windsor Green condo fire which damaged or destroyed 26 buildings in Myrtle Beach and the Barefoot Resort fire which destroyed almost 100 homes and damaged another 100 in North Myrtle Beach were both a direct result from fire embers hitting pine straw and spreading rapidly.
You can Google North Carolina pine straw fires especially the Raleigh-Durham area for more pine straw fire devastation. From experience, I wouldn't have it near my home but many people don't see pine straw as a risk.