If you are a gardener, you know every day is Earth Day, but it is good to take time each year to celebrate Mother Earth and nurture her with support and love. Gilbertie’s can help you celebrate, not just on April 22, but every day of the year by incorporating practices both new and old to conserve and repair our planet.

 

1. Plant a tree. This is the standard suggestion for Earth Day, mostly because it’s a good one. Trees clean the air, provide us with shade and when planted in their native habitat, help preserve their local environment.

 

2. Plant native pollinators. If you caught our recent talk on native pollinators, you know their benefits to the earth and your local area. If you missed it, catch our April 29 lecture on Attracting Birds and Butterfly’s with Native Shrubs and Perennials in Your Landscape.

 

3. Plant and grow organically. Keeping chemicals and pesticides out of our soil and water supply is one of the biggest ways we can help our Earth. Gilbertie’s Organics is steeped in a 100-year growing history where we have consistently dedicated ourselves to improving and expanding our organic offerings.

 

4. Grow a vegetable garden. Our organic tomatoes and vegetable plants are filling our greenhouses now. Though New England weather is not conducive to placing them in your garden until the temperatures are consistently above 50 degrees Fahrenheit at night, (usually around the 10th of May), we have a full selection for you to grow healthy, chemical-free produce for your family. Not sure where to start? Ask us, or better yet, purchase Sal’s best-selling book, Small Plot, High-yield Gardening. It is filled with advice and garden plans to get you going and keep you growing.

 

5. Compost. Composting kitchen scraps, leaves, twigs, and other yard waste can yield a rich gold for your garden while keeping waste out of landfills. Enriched with wiggleroom locally farmed worm castings; you can harvest your own compost gold at home. We also carry Coast of Maine products enriched with compost and compost-only mixtures. Every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday during the spring we also offer compost tea for your gardens.

 

6. Recycle. While many households already recycle, it is important to educate yourself on what is and isn’t accepted in your community. Contact your town to get a list of items. Recycling items that are not on the list could result in your entire recycling bin being tossed in the trash. Follow Instagram accounts such as @sustainablewestport , @sustainableweston and @sustainablefairfield for additional information.

 

7. Reuse. YouTube and social media are bursting with DIY projects designed to take everyday items that might end up in the trash and turn them into something new and useful. Remember Gilbertie’s plastic pots can be reused to replant seedlings at your home, or we will take them back and use them again in our greenhouses.

 

8. Plan a neighborhood clean-up. It is a great way to teach children to care for our earth and keep your neighborhood trash free. You can also adopt the practice of keeping a bag in your car or on your person when you are out walking, hiking, or exploring nature—pick up trash along your route as you go!

 

9. Join an earth-friendly organization. Our area hosts a plethora of organizations dedicated to the preservation and restoration of our planet. Just a few local organizations you may want to explore:

• Wakeman Town Farm

• Aspetuck Land Trust

• Earthplace

 

10. Contribute to earth friendly non-profits. A quick internet search will yield a variety of global, national, state, and local organizations dedicated to any number of plant, water, air, marine, mammal and aviary causes supporting our earth. Find the one that fits you and your family’s values and concerns.