News of Madison Valley

Imagine Your Own Green Oasis

MARCH 27, 2015 | KYRA BUTZEL

When City People’s Garden Store opened in 1988, we had nine employees and one of every size of Felco pruner on our racks. Now, in our busy spring season we are up to about 65 employees (including landscaping) and stocked to the gills with pruners and plants and gardening products and gifts. As we have grown, so has our focus on organic offerings, non-toxic pest controls, and on educating the public about sustainable gardening. 

Vertical Workshop

In this very busy and crowded world, taking time out to plant some pots, or grow your own vegetables, or create a quiet green space is more important than ever. And doing so with the least impact on the environment is our goal. You’ll find only organic soils and amendments here, and a variety of organic seeds and edible plant starts. And for ornamental gardens with the least amount of need for water, chemicals, or upkeep, there are dozens of native plants, drought-tolerant plants, and disease resistant ones from which to choose.

In April, there are several free workshops at the Garden Store to help you figure these things out, including Great Plants for the Pacific Northwest, Intro to Permaculture, Succession Gardening for Edibles, and Invasive Plant ID and Control. Descriptions and more free workshops can be found at www.citypeoples.com/garden/events.

We would like to encourage our customers to check in with us about their gardening practices. We are happy to point them toward alternatives to chemicals they may be applying, or are having applied, to their landscape. In the meantime, we are also trying to learn more and more about the pesticides used by our suppliers. While the growers of our trees, shrubs, and perennials cannot go completely without using pesticides, we are communicating with them about their use and encouraging practices that use more natural biological controls than chemical ones. With the awareness that customers and nurseries are requesting safer plants for the bee population and their own health, growers are responding with more careful pest management.

Sometimes just taking a walk through the nursery at City People’s Garden Store can help you get connected with the natural world again. See the many beautiful blooms, the promising edible starts, the elegant trees, and familiar shrubs, and let them inspire you to slow down, take a deep breath and imagine your own green oasis.

 

[Editor's note: we are posting full articles; please ignore the Read More link. We will be correcting this.]

Topics: Home & Garden