“Baa baa black sheep, have you any wool? Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full! One for the master, one for the dame, And one for the little boy who lives down the lane.”

This silly nursery rhyme was written in about 1744 and the author unknown. It came to me last night as I was loading the third bag of mulch in my trunk under the cover of darkness. It’s not the first time that I’ve “stolen” in this neighborhood. However, my wife and I felt justified that it was mulch that we were paying for anyway, so we are essentially taking what is ours. The home we live in came with a thin layer around the landscaping but not adequate enough to prevent weeds from growing. It would be another year before they planned to add more and we could not find a color match at local hardware stores. The only option is to steal!

All the homes in our edition have the same gold mulch, part of the uniformity maintained by the HOA. We’re allowed a maximum of six personal yard decorations while lighting, pavers, trees, and fountains require approval for any deviations from the neighborhood standard. Many residents view the association as Nazi-like and have adopted the philosophy that “forgiveness is better than permission” when it comes to adding any distinctive touches to “your” property. There is, of course, the natural fear that you could be made an example of in the process of modifying your home without approval. 

No one really knows what the penalty for “stealing” mulch might be, so it’s done by all of us under the cover of darkness. I tend to think of it as redirecting distribution to my own lot rather than theft. We pay for it yet don’t seem to get enough coverage in our own beds and are forced to take matters into our own hands. There is that rush of adrenaline as I sneak bags of mulch in my trunk, trying to avoid anyone seeing me. It’s also satisfying to see the improvement around my own trees and bushes.

“Baa Baa Black Sheep” is apparently about the medieval wool tax, imposed in the 13th Century by King Edward I. Under the new rules, a third of the cost of a sack of wool went to him, another went to the church and the last to the farmer. Our similar battle with the bags of mulch is with the HOA governing body, and we feel we are entitled to take a bag here and there to maintain the proper upkeep of our lots. “Three Bags Full!”