Seasonal Sunday: It Came From Where???

Last week's Seasonal Sunday talked about the pros and cons of rubber tire mulch.  I promised that I would follow up this week with information about traditional landscaping materials and how and where they are sourced.  I think it's important to know where things come from so that you can understand the bigger picture.  As it turns out, the things you buy don't just come from the store.  You can read last week's post here.

Woodchips: When I say woodchips I am referring to both actual woodchips as well as wood mulch.  There are two kinds of woodchips.  One kind is a woodchip that is created as a byproduct.  The other kind is a woodchip is that is created because it is the product.  It may not seem like much of a difference but the difference is actually huge.  The byproduct woodchip comes from brush that has been chipped or from sustainable forest practices.  Although I should point out that "sustainable forest sourcing" is a debatable term.  The product woodchip comes from chipping trees from forests for the specific purpose of making a product that consumers will buy.   It does make a difference which woodchip you buy although I'm sure it is difficult to get a definitive answer even if you are forward-thinking enough to inquire before making a purchase.

Gravel:  Gravel can come from a variety of places.  Beaches, riverbeds, lake bottoms, or gravel pits are all sources for gravel.  Gravel can also be crushed stones.  I think important things to consider before buying gravel would be to ask where it came from.  Whether or not you can actually elicit a truthful answer is another story.  We shouldn't be taking gravel from beaches, riverbeds, and lake bottoms in my humble opinion.  I'm not sure if a gravel pit is earth-friendly or not so I can't speak to any pros and cons to that practice at this time.

River rock:  Smooth river rock comes from two sources.  One way to get river rock is to take it from where it exists in nature.  River rock is made smooth over time after being worn down from moving water.  This type of "natural" river rock can be sourced from beaches and stream beds.  Another way is from a tumbler.  Rocks that are extracted from sand and gravel deposits are tumbled into a smooth shape.  River rock, like gravel, in my opinion, should not be taken from beaches or stream beds.  I'm not sure how I feel about it coming from gravel or sand deposits.

Rough rock:  Rough 'natural rock" is mined from quarries by use of explosives and heavy machinery.  I think my feelings about this practice are probably obvious.  If you are just using it for landscaping, I think you should find something else instead.

Sand:  Sand can come from two places.  It may come from a sand and gravel pit or it can come from river beds.  Sand is usually not sourced from seashores or beaches because the salt interferes with concrete mixing and is poor for garden health.

So what is the right selection for landscaping?  I don't know.  It could be one of these options or it could be the rubber tire mulch that I talked about last week.  Whatever material you do end up purchasing, make sure you take the time to ask questions and find out where it really came from.  Remember that by spending money you are supporting whatever method was used to supply you with these materials.  Don't settle for something because it is the cheapest, choose based on what is best for our environment.