Share Your Love for Mother Nature on Earth Day

Here at GMG, we're all about giving back to Mother Nature, so for Earth Day (April 22nd) we thought we would share some simple solutions for going "green" on this day and every day.

I guarantee you'll feel good as you garden with a purpose inside and outside your home while giving back to Mother Nature. It's that easy!

Gardening for the Birds & Bees

You don’t need to water or fertilize or spray with harmful herbicides and pesticides to grow a beautiful garden. Let Mother Nature do the work to save time, money and natural resources. Going native in your garden with American Beauties Native Plants attract wildlife and help maintain our fragile eco-system. They’ve teamed up with the National Wildlife Federation to help gardeners create a Certified Wildlife Habitat that brings life to your landscape.

Houseplants with a Purpose

When it comes to “green", plants are King. As the earth’s lungs, plants clean the very air we

breathe and give back oxygen, moisture and natural beauty. Since most of us spend the majority of our time indoors, houseplants are the perfect solution to purify indoor air from volatile organic compounds as they freshen our indoor spaces. Costa Farms offers fascinating facts about how houseplants clean the air, plant guide and care tips, videos and more at www.o2foryou.org.

Eco-scaping

Earth day can be every day with a sustainable landscape design. Today, professional landscape designers are helping their clients achieve “green” landscapes. According to Bobbie Schwartz, president of the Association of Professional Landscape Designers, “Some clients are asking for sustainable design because they want to lessen their use of natural resources. Others, faced with mounting water bills, are asking for sustainable design with a desire for landscapes that will thrive with very little water once established.”

A hot trend that's gaining in popularity is low and no-water gardening called Xeriscaping, a style of landscape design that requires little to no watering. “Xeriscapes don’t need to look like desert landscapes,” says Schwartz. "They’re just as applicable in the Midwest and can be a beautiful mix of trees, shrubs, perennials, ornamental grasses, and groundcovers when well-designed.” To find a professional landscape designer for great garden and landscape designs for your home, visit www.apld.org.

Healthy soil, healthy plants

Healthy plants start with healthy soil. Earth-friendly, peat-free and 100% organic soils like Organic Mechanics Potting Soil are rich in minerals, nutrients and ‘good bugs’. They help give plants the “boost” they need to help grow strong, healthy roots. Recognizing the natural goodness in Organic Mechanics soils, Organic Gardening Magazine has recently awarded them with its “Seal of Approval” for its organic soils and soil amendments. “Our seal of approval recognizes that Organic Mechanics potting soils are right in line with our mission to work in harmony with nature, says Ethne Clarke, editor-in-chief.

On Earth Day and every day, here’s a thought to remember: “To me, sustainable means two things: not harming the earth and leaving it better for future generations,” says Schwartz.

I couldn’t have said it better!

Stacey GMG