I live in southern Indiana, about 15 miles southwest of Columbus (which is about 50 miles south of Indy). I planted 60 trees (4 year transplants, about a foot tall) , most along the edge of the road (about 20' back) and some along one side of my property. The neighbor planted some Scotch Pine and Cedar but they're spaced 15' apart. He also planted some Bald Cypress, which lose their needles in the winter. I planted the White Pines 6' apart and about 10' back from the property line. I get along great with the neighbor, but I just wanted some privacy. The rest of the property already has trees, so once these get established, I'll be surrounded. I get my mulch for free from the county recycling center. They chop trees along the edge of the road, etc, and then dump the mulch in a huge pile for anyone to take. I can fill my pickup with a fork for free anytime I want and it's right on the way home from work. It's got some trash in it, but it's not too bad and the price is right. I'm a real believer in mulch, since it keeps the weeds under control (if they do grow they're easy to pull out of the soft mulch), and it keeps the sun from baking the ground and drying it out, plus it decomposes and provides fertilizer. Another good thing it does it keep me from trying to get too close with the mower and accidently hitting the tree.
