Free "not new" mulch is actually better than the stuff you pay for

The pine needles and chopped leaves (both shown) make a terrific mulch, as do grass clippings (not shown as no one has mowed their lawns here yet). The pine needles will help acidify my soil (needs it). You have to be careful not to put the leaves or clippings on too deep (and the leaves need to be chopped up...mow them if you have no other way to do it). These will "feed" the soil much better and faster than wood chips and similar expensive mulches bought at the store. If you are lucky, you can find the pine needles already raked into a nice pile at the curb for you. The first mow of the year makes nice mulch as the grass tends to be longer, untreated and has no seed heads in it yet. Since I get the leaves from my own yard, it's a lot less lugging, too!