@CindiKS ............
Wow ! Have you got wind ! In comparison, I only have a gentle breeze even at the top of the slope where the wind blows through the trees. Now, I understand about the mulch blowing away.
Mother Nature compacted the rocks in my clay soil, but I do add lava rock to any soil I use to back fill so that there are a lot of rocks in those spots, too. I have found that the clay fills in all of the spaces between the rocks. I also add sandy loam to my back fill because it has smaller particles that also help fill in.
The bacteria in the soil which break down organics and any foods we supply our plants need oxygen, so it's a balance. In Trinity County we have a saying that you are either gardening in rock or red clay goo. A few lucky people are gardening in river loam.
However, it's best to do what works in your garden. From my experience having rocks in the soil is much better than gardening in goo.
Smiles,
Lyn
