I know many business owners are seeking ways to become more eco-friendly and attract environmentally conscious customers, but are struggling to find practical solutions.
Try this: grow plants for fresh food, garnishes, and beautiful plants for vases harvested on-site! I love, love, love plants. And I love places with plants.
Here is what I recommend:
Choose Your Location:
Where can you grow food? Most of you lease your building and property, but that doesn’t mean you can’t grow plants. Talk to your landlord. Look for a strip of land near parking or the front entrance. What can you grow in pots inside or outside? Would a living wall work? Will you want a grow light to help indoor plants? Consider factors like available space, sunlight exposure, and accessibility to customers.
Select Your Plants:
To be extra environmentally friendly, choose native plants. It will expose your customers to native plant options and the plants will most likely be easier to grow without chemical fertilizers or pesticides as they will be well adapted to your local area. What are cool plants that you could incorporate into your business as garnishes, menu items or for beautiful vases of fresh cut plants? Pay attention to the best time of year to plant them. For example, in North Florida (Zone 9a) where I live, June is a great time to plant Seminole Pumpkin, Butternut Squash, Acorn Squash, Bush Beans, Lima Beans, Pole Beans, and Sweet Potato Slips or Starts.
Prepare the Soil:
Ensure the soil matches what your plants prefer. For example, do they like nutrient-rich and well-draining soil? Consider adding compost or organic matter to improve soil fertility and structure.
Follow planting instructions for each type of plant. Pay attention to spacing, depth, and watering requirements.
Regularly tend to your plants by watering, weeding, and monitoring for pests. Encourage employee involvement by organizing gardening days or workshops! In the future, you will notice more plant lovers applying to work for you. Also, local gardening clubs or online tutorials can offer valuable tips and resources for maintaining a healthy garden.
By growing plants on-site for use in your business, you will not only contribute to environmental sustainability but also you will add so much beauty and magic, and all of these are selling points.
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