Green Grown

At Mother Earth Gardens we strive to provide you with beautiful plants and products, but a central part of our mission is also to choose plants and products that have been grown, produced and delivered in a sustainable manner. We talk about the following words in our buying and decision-making: organic, sustainable, local, family, independently and cooperatively owned. We are trying to incorporate one or more of those words into as many products as possible. While we are far from perfect, especially in the difficult gift area, we are doing our best to mix in as many responsibly produced products as we can. More and more gift and decor items are becoming available that combine sustainability and beauty.

Here are some of the ways we certify that our products meet the ideals we've set for ourselves.

Organic refers to a sustainable system of agriculture popularized in the U.S. by farmer and publisher J. I. Rodale in 1946. Organic farming seeks to work with nature, not against it, by utilizing agricultural techniques that build soil fertility and protect the surrounding air, water and wildlife. It emphasizes building healthy, rich soil to produce plants that are high in nutritional value and resistant to pests and diseases.

The Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) provides organic certifiers, growers, manufacturers, and suppliers an independent review of products intended for use in certified organic production, handling, and processing. OMRI reviews applying products against the National Organic Standards. Acceptable products are OMRI Listed ® and appear on the OMRI Products List. OMRI also provides subscribers guidance on the acceptability of various material inputs in general under the National Organic Program.

You'll see the labels Certified Organic and OMRI certified on many of our pesticides, herbicides and soil amendments.

Some of our local growers and producers prefer to operate outside the certification process, because of the both the expense and what they consider to be low or arbitrary standards. We, and they, refer to their products as MORganic, because their standards are actually higher than those of the official boards of review.

Our main grower, Rush Creek Growers, supplier of most of our bedding plants and perennials, includes the following in their annual product publication.

"What is Sustainable Growing?
For us, growing sustainably is an on-going process and attitude, a "lens" through which to consider all decisions related to our business, including specific growing techniques, equipment purchases, quests to reduce waste, plans for future growth and our overall workplace environment.

Philosophy aside, we also want to let you know what sustainable means in practical terms. In the future, we may have industry standards to follow but for now we are following these practices and feel good about our progress:

Fertility- We are generally using a soy-based fertilizer, produced in a Texas facility where there are no waste products. We occasionally will use a water soluble fertilizer on special crops.

Disease Control- Healthy plants have no places for diseases to gain a foothold and are much more drought resistant. We are using a variety of products that supply the plant roots with beneficial organisms. Our perennial soil mix has beneficial mycorrhizae incorporated into it which take up residence on the root system protecting it and producing beneficial substances. In 2007, we began using bimonthly applications of compost tea brewed by a local worm farmer. We are hoping to begin brewing our own tea this spring.

Compost tea- We will be using locally produced worm castings to brew our tea. In the day-long brewing process, the microbes are aerated and the microflora and fauna are able to multiply exponentially. The fresh tea will then be mixed into our irrigation system.

Insect Control- We have several predatory insect species that have taken up residence in our greenhouses. In addition, we use plant extracts and substances that physically harm pests rather than poison them. If needed, we'll resort to insect growth regulators or more conventional products.

Growing media- We remain concerned about the sustainability of the peat industry. We incorporate coir, a biproduct of the coconut industry. There may be rice hulls and compost in our future.

Containers- We have made a commitment to using compostable pots. For 2008, we will be using attractive, sturdy posts in our 4 1/4" annual and our 3 1/2" herb programs. The pots are made from rice hulls, bamboo and straw. They're made to last up to 18 months for growing and can be composted in a backyard compost pile or commercial landfill. They are not meant to be planted in the ground."

Please visit our links page to get more info about all of our amazing growers, and many other interesting folks and facts.