There are some of you out there that I could never convince to use recycled rubber products in your yard, and I am alright with that. Some gardeners like to reclaim old pine needles and use them for mulch. Others start their own compost piles in the backyard, and lessen the impact on the environment by mulching with organic materials. This is good and you should be commended, as you are doing the same thing we are, recycling products to give them a second life. We are all in this world together. This month, some of the focus of my entries is targeted at recycling as a whole, not solely reserved for recycled rubber, as this is just one of the many items you can purchase and use to help better the world that we live in.

There are still hundreds of millions of tires in piles across the country, but with the help of “green” minded consumers like you, we are doing our part to keep these tires out of landfills, lessening the impact on our environment. As I sit back and write this latest entry watching trucks come and go from our factory, I am feeling a sense of pride. Together, we will celebrate a milestone in the coming weeks and we at IMC would like to extend our thanks to everyone who has supported our company and purchased our products. One home, business and playground at a time we have recycled 100,000,000 pounds of tires for use in landscaping and playground applications since we founded our company.

Since starting this company I notice what some would call some odds things in my daily life, and often ask myself the question “why.” Recycling does not have to be hard, but often times the way our government works makes it more difficult than it should be. I live in a city that has more than 150,000 households, but seldom see the familiar blue bins as I drive in to work each day. After some research and a few calls, I was a bit embarrassed as the statistics are not what I would call, or for that matter, anyone would call good. Currently there is a curbside recycling program that covers 3,174 households, about 2 percent of the homes have this option. The city says that there is 27 drop off locations, but this is not enough. Sure, there are some that load up their recyclables and drive to a location, but if the homeowner pays for the service why is not a program that more can take advantage of?

If you live in a community like mine, gather up friends and neighbors and use the EPA Web site to start your own recycling program, and make it an issue in the next election as your voice cannot be heard if you do not speak. In the meantime, for those of you who load your can every weekend and drive to a collection facility, thank you. If you do not, it only takes a bit of time and dedication. Perhaps you can add it to the New Year’s resolutions list just above “go to the gym every day,” as we all know this is impossible to accomplish!

As the snow begins to pile up for many of us, and for the fortunate few where snow is not part of Mother Nature’s plan, flora goes dormant until the spring rains bring new life to our gardens, we need to take a moment to pause, think, and create a plan of action for the next round of flora festivities. When many of us say that “we like to garden,” what we mean is that we like to plant, wait, and then view the bountiful beauty that we have created. Sadly, it is not this simple, as there are hours and hours of prep work that need to be completed before we can head to our garden center, pick out our lot, and get our hands dirty.

True visual beauty is heightened by contrast and definition. Clean lines, varying heights and colors of plant material and proper spacing all lend a hand in creating a landscape we can be proud of. In this entry I will discuss the aspect of creating clean lines, as this will require immediate attention when the snow thaws, and it is one of the most tedious and frustrating jobs for the weekend green thumb.

Last spring, after hours of palm and instep bruising manual labor, we created razor clean lines around our planting beds, wielding an instrument of torture known as the edging spade. Six inches at a time we drove the spade straight down, created a small runoff channel, and shaped the soil. About a month later we noticed that grass and weeds started to grow over our clean lines creating a shaggy look to the manicured masterpiece we toiled away on. We head to the shed and grab the edging spade and repeat the process. Although the edging spade is forged from solid steel, if you are like me, you have heard the familiar “twang” of the shovel bending, rendering a noodle-like implement – but we continue on.

What if I told you that a new product from International Mulch Company could end the yearly misery of cutting in edges, not only for this year, but for years to come? Pull out the edging shovel one last time, shape your beds and then install Rubberific Landscape Borders for long-lasting beauty 365 days a year. Made from 100% recycled rubber, these borders are easy to install, and offer the flexibility to create gentle curves or straight lines along flower beds, driveways, sidewalks or fence lines. Edges will not get that overgrown look as these landscape borders suppress weed growth while allowing air, water and nutrients through. Available in a variety of colors, the Rubberific Landscape Border comes in 10 foot lengths and is 4 ½ inches wide.

Some may call this cheating in the garden purist vernacular, but we see this product as a way to spend more time enjoying the fruits of your labor. And it will feel good to retire your edging spade thanks to some recycled rubber tires…won’t it?

It is not often that I ask for a call to action, but I have read some recent reports that have me rethinking how I live my life and what the world will look like when my son is my age. I admit that like the majority of us I could do more, and today is the day when I will put words and promises into action. Today is just another tomorrow unless I do all that I can. I ask for your help as together we can change the world.

When this country was settled, more than half it was covered in a dense, mature virgin forest.

Today, less than one-third of the country is considered a forest. However, our wooden areas are now sparse and immature due to our dependence on wood. The rub is this. We cut down a majestic 50 foot tree for timber and other uses and then plant a few dozen saplings to replace the mighty oak. There is an old Chinese proverb that says the best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago and the second best time is today. If we keep up this process and pace there will come a day when it will be impossible to purchase a 20 foot length of wood as there will not be a tree large enough to harvest it from.

Now do not get me wrong, I understand that we need wood to build, and paper to write on, but we need to take a closer look at what we are doing and the impact it has on the environment.

Many of us recycle our glass, plastic and paper, but are we doing enough? Recent statistics say that we are not. In a 2007 study by the EPA, it states that while 42 percent of all paper is recycled there is more that needs to be done. Paper products currently take up 40 percent of our landfill space and newspapers alone take up 13 percent of all landfill space. Recent estimates say that each year we harvest 520 million metric tons of wood to serve our needs. This number is staggering as it is more than 1.1 trillion pounds that we consume each and every year.

We as consumers have the ultimate power to lessen our dependence and use, allowing our young and immature forests to regain their majestic beauty and benefit. We need to find alternatives. We need to recycle more. We need to live in the future, not in the here and now. Our consumption will leave our children’s children with a world we should be ashamed of.

All is not lost though. We have the means, the minds and the ability to affect change. There are renewable and recycled options right before our eyes; we just need to see the trees for the forest before they are all gone.

When a master painter sits down to create their next work of art, they start at the same point each and every time. They stare at a stark white canvas, void of guides, inspiration, or cues on how or where to start. They impart beauty on this clean slate from images formed in the mind, inspiration from past experiences or feelings they want to express for all to see – they dip into a mental and physical palette and begin their journey.

So, why the discussion about painting in a garden Blog you may ask? Because for gardeners that are handcuffed by the weather right now, this is the time to dream, this is the time to plan, and this is the time to decide how you want your garden to look come spring. After a fresh blanket of snow in the yard, take a moment to reflect, as this has become your white canvas with which to fill in color as you see fit. There are no mistakes right now, only possibilities in your mind.

You have nothing but time right now, so do not rush the final picture of how you want your yard to look, but also, do not leave your perfect landscape locked away in your mind. Next month we will talk about how to map out a strategy, so this month free your mind, every time you have a good idea write it down in a small notebook, or send yourself an email with your thoughts (this may sound a bit strange, but in a couple of weeks you will have a nice list with which to start planning).

If you are more of the material and less of the ethereal, fear not, you can still get a visual, and even save some time come spring. Some would say buy some spray paint and paint the snow where you envision beds, flowers and other plantings, but being a “green” company, I cannot recommend this in good conscious. Instead, make a few wooden stakes, pound them into the frozen tundra and string some rope around them to get a more accurate portrayal of what your thoughts look like. If you do not like what you see, move the stakes. If you have found the perfect garden plan for spring, leave the stakes in and when the snow thaws your winter guides will remain standing and you can hit the ground running.

Truth be told, for many of us, all we can do right now is dream, cut out photos from magazines for our “wish” garden, and count the days until spring arrives. Who knows, with some thoughtful planning, your winter dream may become a summer reality. While some prefer a brush to create their masterpieces…I prefer a wild imagination and a strong shovel!

Most of us live in a reasonably large city, or in close proximity to a major metro, but how many of us know all the hidden gems of our hometown? Two more questions and then we will get to a bit more substance. Have you ever called your town boring? Do you own a guidebook or literature about things to do in your city? My guess is that the answers to the last two questions are “yes” and “no” respectively. No matter the size of the city in question, the answers tend to be the same no matter who you ask. And I pose the question, why?

When we book a flight it seems that there is some switch thrown in our head that draws us to the nearest book store to buy a guidebook. We search the Internet, ask others advice in chat rooms, and plan down the detail, often searching for a place or experience that will give us memories of a lifetime.

However, when friends or relatives show up on our doorstep we take them to the same three or four places we have visited ad nauseam, often feeling like we could give the tour ourselves. From my experience most zoos have the same animals; TGI Friday’s has the same menu, and a natural history museum really does not have much variety, as history is…well history.

This month the “Rubber Meets the Road” barely gets out of second gear as we learn to explore the city we live in. Armed with some resources and a bit of detective work you can explore new possibilities, take a walk on the wild side, or confirm, that yes, your city is boring. The best thing about being a tourist in your own town is at the end of the day you get to sleep in your own bed. While the views are often better in other locales, I can honestly say that of the hundreds of hotels, motels and resorts I have stayed at, my bed is the best. The mattress is just the way I like it, I do not have to pay $4 for a glass of water and no one wakes me up at 3:30 a.m. by sliding my “easy check-out” paperwork under the door.

So I have rambled enough, now on to some tips on navigating your city in a way you never have before.

1. You are here, but you are not here. When you take a few days off, but tell work you will “be in town,” you know they will call. As far as they are concerned you are 10,000 miles away – this is your time to enjoy, relax and explore – they owe you that right.
2. Do, do not say. You have walked or driven by that restaurant hundreds of times only to remark, “we should go there sometime.” You are on vacation, make the reservation. If it is pricey, who cares, you are saving a boatload on your hotel bill ($0).
3. Buy a guidebook. Open it up and cross out every place you have been and then find one location you will visit.
4. Visit someplace that is totally out of left field and don't always take the highway, you may be surprised. that sometimes it really is about the journey, not the destination.
5. Ask a stranger – give up control. At your first stop on your journey, find someone who you would normally not approach and ask them this simple question, “what is the one place I should visit that is not in any of the guidebooks?” When you get to that destination, repeat the process.

Finally, take a camera along and document your journey as well as your destinations and then put it into an album. This way the next time relatives visit you can pull out your own personal guidebook and have them choose a destination of their choice. Free your mind and enjoy the ride.

Happy trails…

We continue our ongoing search for interesting “green” stories about companies and people who are helping to make a difference in the world we live. We hope you enjoy our latest entries.

“Green and Gold”

"Generation Green"

"Eco-Friendly Travel"

"Building Green"

I cannot speak for the recycled rubber industry or for any other recycled rubber company’s products. I can speak about the products that we produce at IMC. The future of the environment is not a game; it is not a discussion of half truths or misinformation. We at International Mulch Company take our responsibility seriously, and we have the test results to prove it. As our industry and products gain a greater acceptance, the dialogue and discussion has deepened – this is a good thing, as it makes us informed consumers. However, when conversations start to misinterpret data or studies, the conversation quickly escalates into a contest of who can shout the loudest – in this environment no one wins.

I want to talk for a few minutes about zinc. Zinc is a naturally occurring element that is mined – it comes from the ground. Zinc is used to galvanize steel to prevent rusting, zinc is the primary metal in the penny, zinc is used in paints and deodorants, zinc is found in oysters, and we now take tablets with zinc when we feel a cold coming on. Some have written that the use of recycled rubber products could create elevated levels of zinc in the soil – a process known as leeching. IMC has tested its products using a respected and independent laboratory and our products have passed every and all tests. One of the largest concerns with detractors of the recycled rubber industry is that they test soils, not the product itself. There are large geographic areas of the United States where zinc mining was a major industry; hence there are higher levels of zinc in the soil of those areas. If you take a look at the map below you will see that nearly the entire United States has some mineral deposit in the soil – each color represents a different element.

Zinc, just like many other naturally occurring elements are not an issue if they are not at elevated levels. Many of us use a product that promises that our plants will grow twice as big if we use this fertilizer – you know the name, you probably use the product. Have you taken a look at what is inside that bottle or container? You guessed it, .05% zinc.

This is an important discussion, and not one solely reserved for the recycled rubber industry. Some scientists have even started a new field to study how plants interact with the soil. This field is called “ionomics,” or the study of how the genes of a plant regulate the ions in a cell. I know this sounds a bit technical, but, well it is… Just as some of us have a higher possibility of having coronary artery disease because our body cannot regulate the amount of cholesterol our system expels, there are some plants that are predisposed to pulling more of one element into its system, potentially damaging the plant. We have pushed and pulled with the genetic codes of plants for years, and the hope is to develop plants that may one day pull toxins from the soil to clean a formerly “ungrowable” area. This area of study is in its infancy, but to reiterate a previously noted point, these scientists are starting with tests of the soil, followed by planting and then testing of the plants. This discussion is not rooted in product, but rather, it is rooted in the soil.

Zinc is part of the earth and we have been harvesting it for uses for more than 1,000 years. We need it in our soil and we need it to stay healthy. We at IMC are about bettering the Earth and helping the environment we live in, and are confident that you will be pleased with our products and the beauty and longevity that they will give your yard.

This discussion of leeching is not new, and not only reserved for the recycled rubber industry – mulch of all kinds has been tested for decades. Pine and spruce needles when used as a mulch leech high levels of nitrogen that can have adverse effects on some plant material. When wood mulch begins to break down it fuels this process by tapping into nitrogen, pulling this vital element from the soil.

My advice if you want to have a dynamic garden is to have your soil tested for its composition levels. Often times it is best to put your ear to the ground and listen to what it is telling you and what it needs.

The temperature is falling, the color is fading, the warm wind from the south has shifted to the north – these are all signs that our friend Old Man Winter will be making his annual appearance. For those of you fortunate enough to live in climates where winter means putting on a sweater at night to “take the chill out of the air,” or reducing the amount of SPF you put on before hitting the beach, we envy you, as 90% of the United States goes into hibernation in the coming weeks and months.

For those of us who are happy when the thermometer reaches 32° for the next few months, we still have plenty to keep us busy in the backyard before the snow starts to fly. Next to early spring when we do a majority of our planting, these final few months are critical to the life, color and well-being of our gardens. Just like we winterize our homes and cars, we as stewards of the earth, need to winterize our yards because freezing temperatures are not exactly what we call kind. The list of winter “musts” is not long, but vital to the survival for your backyard flora.

1. Water thoroughly before the ground freezes. At first glance this may sound a bit odd, but cold temperatures bring very dry air, and once the ground freezes there is no reservoir of water for trees and shrubs to tap in to. This is especially important for evergreens. With no water and a cold winter, these plants can go into permanent dormancy, i.e. dead.

2. Pruning. While it is recommended to cut back perennials down to about 6 or 8 inches, you should avoid pruning any trees or shrubs leading up to the winter, even if they look a bit shaggy. When we cut back, or prune, a tree, we do this to stimulate growth. If we prune late in the season and new buds begin to form, they will die, and potentially lead to the dreaded permanent dormancy example cited earlier.

3. The hose. This is probably the easiest thing you will do at the end of the year, but if you don’t, it will be the most expensive gardening error you will ever make. Disconnect your garden hose and bleed the water out of the line. If you don’t, water will freeze in the hose and eventually split your water line leading into the house. If you don’t think this will cause that much damage, imagine leaving for work at 8 a.m. and turning on your hose full blast in your basement until you get home.

4. Salt. Not good for your diet and not good for your plants. When reports come across the airwaves that snow is on the horizon, there is a mad dash to home improvement stores to buy as much salt as your trunk will hold. The process then begins – shovel, salt, repeat, repeat, repeat. Whether it is the mind-numbing cold or just trying to get he job done, we often don’t think where we throw our shoveled snow. Let’s be honest here, we are a culture of excess, and we are often times a bit lazy – we over salt, hoping that we can eliminate one shoveling expedition. That 200 pounds of salt has to go somewhere, and many times we throw it into flower beds, only to wonder why nothing seems to grow in that area come spring. If at all possible, shovel snow to areas that do not contain plant material. Salt makes soil very acidic, inhibiting the ability to plants to absorb nutrients.

5. Assess the situation. There are no failures in gardening, just lessons we can learn from. Grab a piece of paper, walk through your beds and write down the highs and lows of the season. If something didn’t quite work out, put a small stake near it and replant it come spring in another location. When spring has sprung, too many us hurry out to the local purveyor of plants with no shopping agenda. My advice is to follow the carpenters lead, measure twice, cut once. Go in with a game plan and you will save money and have a brilliant garden once Mother Nature is finished unleashing her frozen fury.

One final note. Mark your calendars for March 20^th 2008 – the first day of spring!

It is a question that we should ask of ourselves more often. The word “why” should most often be followed with the phrase “am I doing this?” Is what I am doing making life easier? More complicated? Am I becoming a better person for doing this? Am I helping others, or supporting a cause as a result of my actions? I am no psychiatrist, but would venture to say that if we took a moment, just a brief one, and asked ourselves “why am I doing this?” we would not do many of the things we do.

Case in point. How many times have you done something only to respond, “I knew I shouldn’t have done that”? Most often times this is said as a set of flashing red lights approaches your car from behind. So while I am on roll asking questions, but not providing many answers yet, I have one final one – “why do I do the same thing every year, twice a year, when I know there is a better option and an opportunity not to do it again for a very long time?” It’s a long question, but has a very short answer – mulch.

As we reach adulthood, I think the timing of when to mulch in spring and fall has become part of our circadian rhythm. You didn’t plan to mulch, you just woke up and knew it was time to empty the trunk and start making trips to the local home improvement store, always trying to stack just one bag in or on your car to avoid a fourth or fifth trip, to buy that colored mulch that looks so good until in rains. You know its true – looks great when you put it down, but after the first rain the color just reverts back to its original shade of lackluster brown.

What if I told you that I had a shirt you could buy that would look as good as the day you bought it for years? You could wear it year-round, wash it as many times as you wanted to, never had to iron it, never have to dry clean it. You would probably think that is a pretty good shirt as over the long term you would save money because you wouldn’t have to buy as many shirts.

So using our shirt analogy, what if I said there was a mulch on the market that would save you time and money? Required very little annual maintenance. Looks as good as the day it was installed even after years of exposure to the elements. Won’t fade. Won’t rot. It helps the environment by giving discarded tires a second life. Did I mention that you could save thousands of dollars over the long term?

It’s called Rubberific Mulch.

The question now isn’t “why,” it is “why didn’t I do this sooner?”

So you fancy yourself a “master of the moss,” a.k.a., someone who takes great pride in how their lawn and landscaping looks. You own every conceivable accoutrement for grooming your lawn. Some may even say that you are the envy of a professional groundskeeper at a major league baseball stadium. You have mastered the “diamond grass cloth pattern” (if you know what this is, you know I am talking to you), and friends and family call you the “Da Vinci of Da Lawn.” It is a moniker you wear with pride.

But even you can make the amateur mistake of the speed mower, teenage son getting $10 bucks just get it done, or the guy I hired because I don’t have time to mow my lawn. It can happen in an instant, but once the damage is done…there is no way to take it back. What I am talking about is “blow over.” It is when the discharge side of a lawnmower gets too close to your mulched areas and cut grass is spread over the area. Sure you can use a leaf blower to cover some of the mistake, but there is always some that escapes the turbine power, not to mention if you are not using rubber mulch, you will scatter wood chips into the lawn – same problem different name…and for another post.

The rotary lawnmower is a powerful beast, capable of slinging a rock or stick into your shin with alarming speed. How many revolutions does the blade on your lawnmower make every second? The answer will surprise you and I will tell you a bit later.

So we all know we have made the “blow over” error before, usually with the common afterthoughts, “I didn’t think the grass would fly that far,” or “but if I didn’t do it I would have ruined the pattern in the lawn.” Alas, your problems have been solved. International Mulch Company is debuting 24” and 36” Rubberific Tree Rings. Made from recycled rubber, this landscaping application is truly maintenance free. In addition to making your yard look great for 365 days a year, the tree ring will let moisture and nutrients pass through while inhibiting weed growth. Its one-piece construction allows you cover it in lawn debris, turn on your leaf blower and in a matter of seconds the grass is gone, and the mulch stays in place.

To answer the burning question of how fast a lawnmower blade turns and why one should heed any and all safety warnings – the average rotary lawnmower will turn at the staggering rate of 52 revolutions…a second! Blow over can happen in the blink of an eye as the blade will have rotated more than 20 times during a single blink, but thanks to Rubberific Tree Rings, the clean up is now almost as fast.