By aligning business practices with national strategies and Vermont’s Universal Recycling Law Act 148 to reduce organic waste, American Meadows and High Country Gardens are illustrating how organizations can contribute to a circular economy and a healthier planet. These purpose-driven brands are taking a new step toward sustainable gardening by donating over 15,000 unsold plants to community organizations. This initiative helps support a healthier planet by reducing methane emissions and leachate production, while fostering community engagement and promoting personal wellness. Communities are sharing their heartwarming stories of doing good through gardening by giving these plants a second chance.
Pennsylvania Horticultural Society received and distributed over 900 plants from American Meadows to support their programs in Philadelphia. Here’s one lucky recipient ready to get started!
Plants donated by American Meadows to the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society.
High Country Gardens donated plants to Idaho Botanic Gardens and Plant Select.
Idaho Botanic Gardens and the Plant Select team are eager to plant their donated plants, which were used to restore areas damaged by flooding last year.
Shelburne, Vermont, USA, July 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — American Meadows and its sister company, High Country Gardens, are driven by their shared purpose of doing good through gardening. Their dedication to supporting local communities and positively impacting the environment has led to a commitment to diverting all organic materials from the waste stream. At the end of each season, unsold plants are donated to community-focused organizations instead of being thrown into landfills.
This season, plant donations have supported the creation of new community and memorial gardens, habitat restoration, and educational initiatives. These contributions have benefited about two dozen recipients, including urban gardening organizations in Chicago, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Taos, Santa Fe, and Salt Lake City. “The continued support we have received from High Country Gardens has been vital to the advancement of our Bee Campus goals, allowing us to engage our students, faculty, staff and community members.” Dr. Alejandra Villalobos, Director of Strategic Initiatives and Research at UNM-Taos, shared that she is one of two dozen recipients of a plant donation this spring.
“Dumping organic material in landfills has consequences that are counterproductive to our goal” said Tabar Gifford, Master Gardener and Partnership Cultivator at American Meadows and High Country Gardens, who leads the initiative.
When thrown into a landfill, organic materials such as food scraps, yard waste, and unsold crops from agriculture and horticulture decompose anaerobically (without oxygen). This creates methane emissions, a greenhouse gas 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide, according to the Environmental Defense Fund. It also produces leachate, a liquid containing harmful chemicals and pollutants that can seep into groundwater, potentially contaminating drinking water sources and harming ecosystems.
The story continues
American Meadows Inc. wanted to prevent this negative impact while also supporting their goal. Gifford emphasizes “We committed to giving these plants a second chance. Instead of throwing them away, we worked to donate these perishables to more than two dozen organizations and community groups around our greenhouse locations.” This year, both companies were able to find a new home for 100% of the unsold plants. This resulted in over 15,000 plants and flower bulbs finding a new home. “Bringing communities together while adding beauty and environmental benefits was a big motivator for us.”
The communities and organizations that have benefited from this have shared their experiences and how they have used these plants:
Tom Kassanpartners with the Avon Land Trust in Connecticut and leads efforts in his city to restore public space and shared: “The community will benefit in many ways from the donation of native plants. Because we have created the garden right at the trailhead, anyone who comes to the property to hike or bird watch from the gazebo can enjoy the beautiful garden growing right next to it. Hopefully, that will inspire others to plant a native garden near their home, or do something similar in another community.”
Plants donated to St. Louis Community College’s Meramec Horticulture Program have provided countless hands-on learning opportunities, enriching the students’ experience.A large part of our curriculum focuses on native plant horticulture and healthy ecosystems, so the native and nativar species that were donated have really helped us improve and increase the diversity of our perennial collection,” shares Carrie Coyne, facilitator of the horticulture program.
Sally McCabe, associate director of Community Education at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, explains: “Distributing flower bulbs during the recent training for teachers in the Green City means new experiences for the participants, who took the flower bulbs to no fewer than 75 school, neighborhood and home gardens.”
Nancy King of Ghost Ranch in New Mexico shared: “Last spring, we began a mission to restore vegetation to the residential areas of the ranch to cool and beautify the landscape. Incorporating native xeriscape plants from High Country Gardens was a critical step in restoring vegetation while managing water use responsibly and ensuring the plants are sustainable and long-lasting.”
Hannah Whitney of Wasatch Community Gardens (WCG) shared: “The plants and bulbs were used on the WCG campus in Salt Lake City and in a number of community gardens managed by WCG, as well as in some school gardens that we support. The donated plants bring beauty, joy and pollinators to our gardens!”
Awareness of these environmental challenges is growing. Vermont, home to the American Meadows and High Country Gardens headquarters, was the first state to pass the Universal Recycling Law (Act 148), which bans all food scraps from landfills after 2020. In June 2024, the USDA announced a new national strategy to reduce food loss and waste and recycle organic materials to reduce organic waste, reduce climate pollution, and ultimately save money for families and businesses.
American Meadows Inc. is committed to supporting community-based organizations and programs and is proud to announce that it will no longer be taking organic waste this season. The company plans to continue these initiatives, highlighting the impactful work of its partners and community advocates across the country who are promoting positive change through gardening. “This is just the beginning,” Gifford emphasizes. Supporting organizations with similar values and missions, fostering community involvement and diverting organic waste from landfills are core to American Meadows and High Country Gardens’ brand values.
To see the full stories of the plant recipients, learn more about their missions, and view photo updates, visit the Doing Good Through Gardening Hub
Want to learn more about the benefits of meadow landscaping: https://www.americanmeadows.com/content/resources/meadowscaping/make-it-better
Find out where to start in your own garden: https://www.americanmeadows.com/content/resources/meadowscaping
Discover how sustainability starts in your backyard: https://www.highcountrygardens.com/content/gardening/sustainable-backyard
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About American Pastures
American Meadows does good through gardening. Their innovative wildflower seed mixes, pre-planned perennial gardens, and lawn alternatives are a go-to for gardeners who shop online. With over 40 years of experience and 650,000 satisfied customers, they are the authority on meadow creation. Visit www.AmericanMeadows.com for more.
About High Country Gardens
High Country Gardens believes that sustainability starts in your backyard. As a leading online provider of water-efficient plants and sustainable landscaping solutions, they have been helping communities create beautiful and sustainable outdoor spaces since 1993. Visit https://www.highcountrygardens.com/ for more information.
Attachments
CONTACT: Tabar Gifford American Meadows [email protected]
