Gardening Resources

Leaving the Earth in Better Condition Then When We Found It

If you hike along the Superior Hiking Trail (SHT) in northeastern Minnesota, a 205 mile footpath from Two Harbors to the Canadian border, you will notice signs at campsites along the way. These signs read: "Please leave your campsite in better condition then when you found it". Many people find it easier to leave their campground a mess, just pack up and leave the trash behind. This has been the mentality of people for generations. However, we cannot pack up and leave Earth (contrary to what you may have seen in Wall-E). Our messes are starting to catch up with us.

That camping guideline, carved onto a wooden sign, got me thinking about what we do everyday in our industry. We strive to leave each and every site in better condition every day. When we arrive on a site it may have overgrown shrubs which we prune, weeds taking over which we pull, dead plant material which we replace, or a drainage issue which we remedy. A site may be new construction and have nothing but mud, and we install trees, shrubs, perennials, sod, mulch, etc. Tuft grass may be looking long and un-kept, so we bring in our mowers and create a beautiful green carpet. All of these practices leave each site in better aesthetic condition then when we found them. However, we must ask ourselves a few questions.

Is our environment in better condition than it was a decade ago? According to scientific research it is not. Are the practices we employee causing more benefit or harm to the earth? Are we applying or selling chemicals that create lush plants at the expense of our lakes and streams? Do we really know the effect that chemical is having on not only our target pest but the beneficials? Is that fun and exotic plant going to take over native species? Are we creating food sources and habitat for wildlife or are we displacing them? Are we intergrading plants into our designs that will be sustainable for years to come or will they need to be removed because they are overcrowded, too large for the space or die because the site conditions were not appropriate?

Are we really leaving our earth in better condition then when we found it? As members of the "green" industry we are the foremost stewards of the earth and should be on the forefront of the green movement. As we get set to start a new season, I challenged each and every one of us to ask this question every time we step onto a property or sell a customer a product It is important for us to stay on the cutting edge of new products and practices.

As we strive to answer this question, think not only if we are leaving each site in better condition for today but, for our future generations.

-Elizabeth Wynne