I like pinestraw because it biodegrades and enriches the soil, so when you do plant flowers in the almost completely sandy soil they have something to nourish them.
BUT we like the pine chips better that you can buy in bags in all the local places.
I enjoy seeing all of the lovely gravel, and other pretty materials but weeds still find a way to struggle through it too.
I have carried pine straw bales in our van. THEN someone said they can be hiding snakes...........
So we switched to chips.
Gracie the hoe-er