With the advent of a new year comes many resolutions. How can you resolve to garden “greener” in 2019? My commitment to common sense, sustainable practices, has helped me develop core green principles that will help you grow “greener”:
Native Plants Consider using native plants in your landscape. I am by no means a purist on this strategy. Any plant is native to somewhere! Most often it refers to plants native to North America. You can take that a step further and consider plants that are native to our region. These are plants accustomed to our North Country weather, so can offer you a more robust production and guaranteed success. For ideas, all you need do is look roadside in the more rural areas of our region. You will find winterberries, hemlocks and white dogwoods that will be sturdy bones in your landscape
Buy Local Plants Even if not exclusive to our area, I recommend purchasing plants at local greenhouses. I buy my plants from Dehns Greenhouses a 127 year old business in Saratoga Springs. They grow and propagate many of their own bedding plants and perennials. This growing experience can be invaluable for a homeowner. Their plants don’t travel across the country to reach a big box store. Reducing the transportation component alone can reduce a carbon footprint on our environment.
Locally Source your Garden Amendments Growing greener gardens is not only about plant material. You will need soil, mulch, compost, and a variety of stone and other aggregates for your garden projects. We have an abundance of local businesses dedicated to the production of these garden materials. When ordering your mulch, soil and compost this year, ask your provider where it is made and the materials used in the blend. If it freshly blended? Chopped up palettes and debris from diseased plants is not what you want feeding your garden. Stone and other aggregates are right in our backyard. The Pallette Quarry in Greenfield even recycles blacktop for landscape projects. Who knows where those chain store bagged materials come from?
These practices support real dig in the dirt greener garden principles. You can take it a sustainable step further when you consider their benefits to your community as a whole. These simple changes to your seasonal gardening also keep the “green” in our communities by supporting the businesses that employ your neighbors. So this year, resolve to grow “greener” with a bit of common sense and sustainability in your practices!
Garden Goddess Spring Workshops The Garden Goddess is taking her common sense and sustainability on the road again this year:
Homeowners Guide to Garden Design Saturday March 3oth 9:30-10:30 Malta Community Center, Malta
The Magic of Fairy Gardens (Adults) Saturday April 6th 9:30-10:30 Malta Community Center
Fun with Fairy Gardens (Kids ages 4-10) Saturday April 6th 11:00-12:00 Malta Community Center
For registration information contact the Malta Community Center.
