Going All-In On Wood Chip Mulch (Far Backyard) - April 2020

Well, that escalated quickly.  A little more than a week ago, I posted a photo showing the result of a five gallon bucket full of free wood chips/mulch from the Village of Downers Grove. Today, I've made 15 trips to what we're calling the 'mulch pit'.  I've gone all-in on the free wood chips/mulch for the very far back of our yard.  This is an area that I've done absolutely nothing to over the past few years and just let go natural.

I've cobbled together a series of buckets, trugs and one garbage can that I believe - when filled - total about 9 cubic feet of mulch.  That's about 1/3rd of a yard each trip.  15 trips = 5 yards.  I'm not quite 50% of the way done across the back of the yard, but with the social distancing being extended for another 30 days, that means that I might be able to get the far backyard covered in this weed barrier before I end up getting back to the office.   I figure that I'll need about 20 more trips to get all the mulch that my yard could use right now.  That's quite a few trips, but as long as there is nobody else there at the mulch pit, it is a good use of time, right?  A little bit of outdoor time, some exercise and something I can do all by myself. 

My current plan is to have a delivery of mulch (Hardwood fines) delivered in April that I'll use to dress the beds around the house and in the backyard.  I'm not sure how far it will go, but if there is enough mulch after the 'close-in' beds, I'll be topping this area with additional mulch.  Back in this area, there are a couple of hostas and ferns, so I'm hoping they're strong enough to emerge through this layer.  Everything else?  I'll try to get rid of as it comes through this season in an attempt to maintain some control over this area before I get to planting in a coming season.